Ngbaka Raffia Ceremonial Headdress, Based

A flat blade of wood with a notch cut from one side, rising from a basket like a flag from a fortress.

This ceremonial headdress is Ngbaka, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, and dates to the early 20th century. It is wood and raffia. The Ngbaka live in the northwest of the country, and headdresses of this kind were generally worn in initiation and other community ceremonies. The crest is a thin, curved board with a stepped cutout and a small tab, its corners marked with incised hatching. It sits in an open cap of woven rattan, wrapped with raffia fringe and cord. It is 12 inches wide and 23 high.

Bold in profile, discreet edge on.