Prestige Cap (mpu ngola)
Unknown Artist
late 1800s–early 1900s
Medium
Raffia palm fiber (Raphia ruffia or R. vinifera) and leopard claws
Dimensions
42 × 19.3 × 19 cm
Classification
Garment
Department
African Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1997.180
About this artwork
Zimpu (singular: mpu) are intricately knotted caps worn by men in parts of Central Africa. Ringed with leopard claws, this long cap (mpu ngola) once belonged to a high-status man; the fierce feline attachments alluded to his personal qualities, as both were seen as leaders in their domains. Its interlacing motifs appear across artforms made by the Kongo, Vili, and Yombe peoples. When new, caps draped over the head. However, raffia fibers stiffen over time. To support this now-delicate ngola, the...