BAKONGO KINGDOM, SOLONGO, NORTHERN ANGOLA
IVORY, LENGTH 65CM

The Solongo were part of the larger Kongo kingdom and shared many rituals and religeous beliefs with the Bakongo. Solongo artists are also well renowned for their NKONDI fetishes, but as an income producing sideline from the 1850’s onwards they have carved and decorated ivory tusks to sell to Europeans, especially Portuguese traders who had been regular visitors in the area for almost 200 years.