Collar "onlua"
D. R. Congo, Teke
not available anymore
Provenance
Marc Leo Felix, Brussels, BelgiumJens Jahn, Munich, Germany
Size
D: 13,5 cm/21,5 cm
D: 5.3 inch/8.5 inch
Description
brass, flat toothed ring with incised decor, remains of handwritten collection number backside, metal base;
the number of teeth an “onlua” had, gave information about the prestige of the chief, who wore it. They not only showed the meaning of his rank, but the number of villages subjected to his jurisdiction as well.