Lot Essay
Painted in 1937.
In the Equateur province and in the Kasai, these women, in certain circumstances, smeared their bodies with earth, oil and the crushed bark of the kula tree, which coloured them red. This tukula was not only an adornment, but also was a powerful disinfectant. The clusters of balls, hung on their posteriors, are the dried fruit of Borassus palm trees, whose seeds rattle as the dancers move accentuating the rythm.
We are grateful to Christian Devred-Hallet for her assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.
In the Equateur province and in the Kasai, these women, in certain circumstances, smeared their bodies with earth, oil and the crushed bark of the kula tree, which coloured them red. This tukula was not only an adornment, but also was a powerful disinfectant. The clusters of balls, hung on their posteriors, are the dried fruit of Borassus palm trees, whose seeds rattle as the dancers move accentuating the rythm.
We are grateful to Christian Devred-Hallet for her assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.