Ceremonial Prestige Axe Kilonda
Tetela, D.R. Congo
Iron, wood, copper
Early 20th century

Tetela axes are very closely related to Songye axes, but they are much smaller and tend to have more embossed designs on the copper wrap. 

The Tetela, who number 120,000, were not organized into a state with a central leader. They were divided into many independent communities, each composed of a number of lineages descended from a common male ancestor. These groups were governed by hereditary chiefs kokolomani through a prime minister nyampara who in turn directed subchiefs and village headmen. Some political chiefs were female. The Tetela believed in a supreme being Winya (sun) in the south and Matetela in the north (Felix, 100 Peoples of Zaire and Their Sculpture, 1987). 

12.625 in :: 32 cm

InventoryID #13-2582

Price on Request