Zande
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
During the 18th century the Zande peoples began to emerge from groups of people who were moving from the west toward the forests of central Africa. Today, the Zande inhabit an area that spans the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, and southern Sudan. Although Zande art is very similar to that of the neighboring Mangebetu peoples, it is not intended for royal use.
Yaka
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Wamba River that flows along the southwest area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and northern Angola is home to one million Yaka. The Bantu-speaking Yaka migrated to this region in the 16th century. Their highly structured hunting and farming society is ruled by a chief of Lunda origin. Like the Suku, the yaka believe their chiefs are superhuman and create royal regalia for their use.
Oron
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
According to some scholars, the Oron are related to the Ibibio; the Oron insist they are not. Estimated to number over one hundred thousand, the Oron peoples live on the west bank of the Cross River in southeastern Nigeria.
Sango
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Sango live in the regions of northern Lastourville and Kulamoutou, along the course of the Sebe River in Gabon. The total population is estimated to number about fifty-four thousand people. Like the Kota, they make reliquary guardian figures that are decorated with brass.
Songye
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Thirty-five individual chiefdoms make up the Songye territory west of the Lualaba River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Songye are historically related to their Bantu-speaking neighbors, the Hemba and Luba peoples, through their society and artistic styles are unique.
Suku
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Suku peoples, of which there are about eighty thousand, have had a complex history in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With the Yaka, they invaded the Kongo kingdom and, years later, were themselves overtaken by the Yaka. Suku society is matrilineal and ruled by regional chiefs. Most Suku art is created as regalia for these chiefs.
Ovimbundu
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
High on the Benguela Plateau of Angola live the approximately 4.6 million Ovimbundu peoples. They farm and raise livestock. Although Ovimbundu art was inspired by Chokwe forms, contact with Europeans probably informed the naturalism evident in some Ovimbundu works. Depictions of Ovimbundu women are characterized by their braided hairstyles.
Senufo
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Senufo peoples, who now number three million, have inhabited areas of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Côte d'Ivoire since the 15th century. Senufo villages are organized according to family lineage and age and are governed by a council of elders. All men belong to the Poro society in which they learn their social, political, and spiritual roles. Similarly, women belong to the Sandogo society.
Pende
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Bantu-speaking Pende peoples of the Democratic Republic of the Congo were at one time overwhelmed by the Chokwe, but regained their independence with the rise of colonialism in the 20th century. Pende art, which varies by region, shows stylistic similiarities with the Chokwe and the Luba.
Ndebele
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Ndebele, a Nguni-speaking peoples, are divided into two groups: Those who live in Zimbabwe, called the North Sotho; and those who live in Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces in South Africa. Ndebele women of South Africa create beadwork that decorates clothing and items related to initiation, weddings, and healing rites. They are also renowned for the murals they paint on the walls of their houses.