Wooden nkumbi household stool used in initiation with two pieces of wood lying on top; four legs, darker in color, curve upward, 3 holes in each side on the darker band of color; one piece of wood is inscribed "Innsbruck Sept 27 1953"; origin Bira people of the Ituri rainforest.
End of a pottery tuyere used in a kiln; a tuyere is a tube through which air or oxygen is blown into a blast furnace, a ceramic blow tube to keep the furnace hot; origin Uganda.
Sixteen-note sound box, also known as board piano or thumb piano and lukembi, likembe, or kalimba; wooden with keys made from spoon handles, bicycle spikes, or metal keys hammered to the desired shape; keys plucked with thumb and fingers; two holes under the keys and some decoration on the side; inscription "RUMBA OPIKA MIE LEON L24B1954.BUNIA"; origin Bira people of the Ituri rainforest.
Twelve-note sound box, also known as thumb piano, board piano, lukembi, or kalimba; wooden with keys made from spoon handles, bicycle spikes, or metal keys hammered to the desired shape; keys plucked with thumb and fingers; two holes on bottom and one on back; crudely decorated with lines and scratch-like marks; origin Lese people of the Ituri rainforest.
Ivory figures depicting the Three Wise Monkeys motif ("See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil"); origin Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Reddish brown with faint orange lines, design is made of small rectangles separated by two lines; origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Reddish orange and brown with intricate geometric patterns on light brown background; origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
Wooden figure of Mbuti carrying a well-carved hunting net, eyes closed, on an oval base; origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
Five string harp with wooden arm and base, skin covering, strings still attached; origin Bira people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
Ceremonial knife used in a wedding exchange; curved metal blade with three holes, wooden handle with decorative metal wrap near the blade; origin Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire), Mangbetu people.
Five string harp with a wooden body, animal skin across top, cord strings; very decorated with geometric pattern wood-burned into body, arm has giraffe-like spots; origin Uganda.
Elephant hunting spear with wooden handle, metal blade, and cord wrapped around the handle attaching the blade; thought to be made by villagers and used by the Mbuti of the Ituri forest.
Coiled basked with lid; has beaded cover of blue, yellow, green, red, and white beads in diamond designs, beaded knob on top, tightly woven; resembles sweetgrass baskets of the South Carolina lowcountry; origin Luo people of Kenya.
Hunting spear with wooden handle, metal blade with intricate shape, and cord wrapped around the handle attaching the blade; origin Bira people of the Ituri rainforest.
