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Jan Vansina’s Kuba field-photos

Kuba-Nbengi Forehead Scarification and Hair Styled with Redwood Paste. Photo by Jan Vansina, 1956. Image courtesy of the University of Wisconsin.
Kuba-Nbengi Forehead Scarification and Hair Styled with Redwood Paste. Photo by Jan Vansina, 1956. Image courtesy of the University of Wisconsin.

The online catalogue of the Madison Libraries at the University of Wisconsin contains 200 beautiful field-photos made by Jan Vansina, authority on the history of the Kuba, during his stay among them in 1956. You can browse the 200 images here.

Although figure carving is not generally associated with the Kuba-Shoowas, the practice of carving a representation of the village female chieftain such as this is common throughout Shoowa groups. These are comparable to Kuba-Bsuhong royal figures (ndop). Photo by Jan Vansina, 1956. Image courtesy of the University of Wisconsin.
Although figure carving is not generally associated with the Kuba-Shoowas, the practice of carving a representation of the village female chieftain such as this is common throughout Shoowa groups. These are comparable to Kuba-Bsuhong royal figures (ndop). Photo by Jan Vansina, 1956. Image courtesy of the University of Wisconsin.