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The Tchokwe people group in modern-day Angola

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Created in the Mid-19th century, it is made from wood, hair, and hide, It is a small 16x6x6” and held at the Kimbell Museum of Art in Fort Worth, Texas.

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Royal Ancestral Chibinda Ilunga Tchokwe Figure 

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"The [wooden] figure represents the hero Chibinda Ilunga, a royal ancestor of the Tchokwe people. According to legend, Ilunga, the son of a great Luba chief, wooed Lweji, a Lunda chieftain. He introduced into that tribe the concept of divine kingship and also taught the Lunda the art of hunting.

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This imposing figure represents the hero Chibinda Ilunga, a royal ancestor of the Tchokwe people. According to legend, Ilunga, the son of a great Luba chief, wooed Lweji, a Lunda chieftain. He introduced into that tribe the concept of divine kingship and also taught the Lunda the art of hunting. From their union, if rather indirectly, came the Mwata Yamvo rulers of the Lunda, to whom the Tchokwe not only paid tribute but also regularly furnished sculptors who produced many kinds of court art almost up to the present day. By association, Chibinda Ilunga became a culture hero and model for Tchokwe chiefs as well. The figure of Chibinda Ilunga came to represent the archetypal chief who maintains the well-being of his people, and he also served as a role model for men in Tchokwe society.

This figure wears elaborate headgear with rolled-up, flanked side elements as a sign of his royal rank likening to the western crown. He holds a staff in his left hand and a carved antelope horn in his right. Since the hunter chief was the most sacred subject portrayed by the Tchokwe, such figures were attempted only by the most skilled artists. This sculpture conveys the physical strength and stealth of the hunter's body as well as the sensitivity and intelligence of a great leader's face.

This figure is depicted wearing an elaborate, multi-connected, crown-type headdress attached to the coiffure and worn by only royalty. The crown-headdress appears to be composed of at least two sections; the front is mounted over the top of its head and extends down over the ears having at least four roles. The back side section of this elaborate crown-headdress is executed with a great deal of elegance with sides curling upwards against the flat back of the head. The centerpiece may have been a comb or pin to fasten the headdress together.

The aged, weathered face is depicted with five old brass or copper tacks and two in the upper chest. He holds a staff in his left hand and a carved antelope horn in his right.

The large hands and feet are considered an important attribute in the status of these types of ancestral figures.

Provenance: This incredible, rare, and important artifact was first collected in Europe during the 1930s and later acquired by Michael Wyman, in 1970. The piece has been dated as mid to late 19th century by radiocarbon dating or AMS method analysis from the laboratories of Illinois State Geological Survey reported by Dr. Hong Wang and also with expertise reported by Leonard Kahan. Other masterpieces of this genre can be found at the Museu National de Esnologia in Lisbon (see page 113 in the book Sculpture Angolaise, printed 1994) and one in the Kimbell Art Museum in Dallas, Texas.

Mid to late 19th century
Ancient wood, brass or copper tacks
15 x 5 x 4 in
38 x 13 x 10 cm
Tchokwe people; northeastern border region of Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Royal Ancestral Chibinda Ilunga Tchokwe Figure - Brauer Museum of Art

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This imposing figure represents the hero Chibinda Ilunga, a royal ancestor of the Tchokwe people. According to legend, Ilunga, the son of a great Luba chief, wooed Lweji, a Lunda chieftain. He introduced into that tribe the concept of divine kingship and also taught the Lunda the art of hunting.

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Created by Katsushika Hokusai in 1826 and printed in 1833. Now it is at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

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The balance and harmony of man and nature

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The balance and harmony of man and nature

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“All of the views in this series contrast the stable form of Mount Fuji with the daily actions (fleeting life) of people. In "The Great Wave," Hokusai shows the hard lifestyle of the fishermen who worked in the area of Edo and their courage in the face of the power of nature (Dewitte 88).

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Created in 900-100 EC, the columns served as support for the temple of the Toltec Empire. The Toltecs were the precursors to the Aztecs. The columns were made to honour the warriors of the community and are 15 feet high.

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The name comes from the Babylonian goddess Ishtar. It was constructed 605-562 BCE during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II. It was taken in pieces to Germany and now it is held at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.

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Video shows a 3-D laser-scan animation of Ishtar Gate, the 2,600-year-old main entrance to King Nebuchadnezzar II’s ancient capital, Babylon, in Iraq.

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Atop a platform pyramid in the ruins of the ancient city of Tula, these menacing figures of four colossal warriors tower over visitors, displaying the power and ferocity of the mysterious Toltec civilization. Their facial expressions and particularly their eyes convey, even today, an attitude of steadfast duty. It's as if they're stoically surveying the landscape for the approach of long-lost enemies.

These giants are surviving relics of the Toltec civilization. The squat and solid trunks of these sculptures are clothed in the characteristic practical attire of Mesoamerican warriors: they wear a cotton armor jerkin, their heads are crowned by elaborate feather headdresses, and on their feet are sandals for long-distance running.

The presence of these gigantic columns in the citadel of Tula was a calculated, overt demonstration of the power and aggression at the heart of the Toltec empire. As such, the giants were likely meant to both instill fear in enemies and inspire reverence for the ruler among the people.

The Toltec civilization rose to power after the decline of Teotihuacan and in the centuries prior to the rise of the Aztecs. Over the centuries, the cultural and military might of the Toltecs continued spreading from Central Mexico to as far away as the Mayan regions of the Yucatan Peninsula.

But the empire was not meant to last. The end of the Toltec's reign came abruptly in the 12th century, after an army of nomadic tribes surrounded and attacked Tula, the empire's capital. But the legend of this civilization endured, and centuries later, the Aztecs would wander the ruins of Tula and create a mythologized version of its history (unfortunately, much of the information about the city's past was lost when the Aztec emperor Itzcoatl burned the books containing pre-Aztec history).

Today, you may visit the ruins and, while walking within the shadows of its guardian giants, perhaps experience some of the same awe that past explorers may have felt.

Know Before You Go

The archeological site and its excellent history museum are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday. Entrance costs $65 pesos during the week, but is free if you come on a Sunday. Be sure to wear plenty of sunscreen.

On the site, there is also a small and modest natural history museum dedicated to explaining the ecology of the area. It has a lot of taxidermy examples of the local fauna such as roadrunners, bobcats, opossums, and rattlesnakes.

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Atop a platform pyramid in the ruins of the ancient city of Tula, these menacing figures of four colossal warriors tower over visitors, displaying the power and ferocity of the mysterious Toltec civilization. Their facial expressions and particularly their eyes convey, even today, an attitude of steadfast duty.

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The golden animals are actually sculptures that project from the flat surface of the blue bricks and are symbols of Babylonian gods.

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I choose this music to go along with the art of the Tula warrior columns. This is traditional music from the Aztec empire from which the sculptures were made from. This song is a warrior song that encompasses the feelings of the columns as they were created to honour the Aztec warriors.

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I chose this this video because it provides a great explanation for the background of the famous wood block print.

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I chose this song because it is a modern day remake of a traditional song from Angola that dates back to the time when Chibinda Ilunga was made. The artist Bongeziwe Mabandla is very talented and has risen to be well known in Angloa just as the artist of the sculpture must have been the best in his craft to create a sculpture of the most well-respected hunter in the Tchokwe culture.