Wisdom basket – Cauris, beads, Textile – Kuba – DR Congo

Beautiful Kuba Bushoong Bwoom wisdom basket from DR Congo.
Splendid container with a separate lid. Fully embroidered with countless cowrie shells and fine colored glass beads.
These very impressive ornate containers were – even until recently – the insignia of the Kuba kings and their deputy local dignitaries. The container was carried by a court servant and was used to receive gifts, but also to collect debts, often in the form of primitive money and high-quality natural products, e.g. Tukula bars. These containers were also nicknamed wisdom container, which probably indicates their original use as a prestige object and differs from the later profane use.