Gong Currency – Jonga – DR Congo

Like many pieces of traditional African metalwork, this gong served multiple purposes in the tribe. It was a ceremonial instrument, a status symbol, and a piece of currency. Using a rubber coated stick, members of the tribal elite would beat these gongs in religious ceremonies. Outside of those ceremonies, the instruments marked their wealth and power. The acoustical curves now offer a sculptural presence, elevated on a custom steel stand.

This is an African forged iron gong-shaped currency of the Nkutsu or Jonga people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa. These gongs are also found in many other cultures throughout Africa. The Nkutsu, and especially their neighbors, the Jonga, are known for their skilled smiths who produced various metal objects, including gongs made for use by members of the Nkutsu society. The Nkutsu occupy the area between the Kasai, Sankuru, and Lomami rivers; the Jonga live on the Tshuapa River, one of the tributaries of the greater Congo. Such gongs were used as a symbol of brotherhood. The gong was struck with a stick with a rubber-coated end. During ceremonies, metal gongs were used to set the rhythm of music and establish the cadence for rituals and religious ceremonies.

Provenance: former private collection from Germany.