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Source Description
<em>Zimpu </em>(singular: <em>mpu</em>) are intricately knotted caps worn by men in parts of Central Africa. Ringed with leopard claws, this long cap (<em>mpu ngola</em>) 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 <em>ngola,</em> the CMA’s conservators mounted it upright. Known since at least 1607 in the former Loango Kingdom, as well as the adjacent Kongo Kingdom, such caps were once made by noblemen and worn into at least the 1980s.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
159880
label
Prestige Cap (mpu ngola)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
159880
contentType
object
title
Prestige Cap (mpu ngola)
description
<em>Zimpu </em>(singular: <em>mpu</em>) are intricately knotted caps worn by men in parts of Central Africa. Ringed with leopard claws, this long cap (<em>mpu ngola</em>) 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 <em>ngola,</em> the CMA’s conservators mounted it upright. Known since at least 1607 in the former Loango Kingdom, as well as the adjacent Kongo Kingdom, such caps were once made by noblemen and worn into at least the 1980s.
date
late 1800s–early 1900s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79980206
genreSpecific
Garment
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 42 x 19.3 x 19 cm (16 9/16 x 7 5/8 x 7 1/2 in.)
cul
Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, or Cabinda (Angola), Kongo-style maker, possibly Yombe subgroup
accession
1997.18
Source extras
tec
Raffia palm fiber (Raphia ruffia or R. vinifera) and leopard claws
tombstone
Prestige Cap (mpu ngola), late 1800s–early 1900s. Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, or Cabinda (Angola), Kongo-style maker, possibly Yombe subgroup. Raffia palm fiber (Raphia ruffia or R. vinifera) and leopard claws; overall: 42 x 19.3 x 19 cm (16 9/16 x 7 5/8 x 7 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 1997.180
collection
African Art
didYouKnow
The geometric motifs on this <em>mpu</em> cap—including diamonds and interlaces—are seen on Kongo, Vili, and Yombe works in other materials, including ivory and basketry.
citations
citation
Petridis, Constantine<em>. South of the Sahara: Selected Works of African Art</em>. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art; Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press (distributor), 2003, 17, fig. 6.
page_number
p. 17: fig. 6
citation
Sims, Lowery Stokes. <em>The Persistence of Geometry: Form, Content and Culture in the Collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em>. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2006, 118; color repr. p. 53, no. 46.
page_number
p. 118; color repr. p. 53
citation
Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>The CMA Companion: A Guide to the Cleveland Museum of Art</em>. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2014.
page_number
Mentioned and reproduced: P. 40
creditline
John L. Severance Fund
sketchfabId
ca93a8e164f040ffa246b64df348d11b
updatedAt
2026-06-18 21:17:41.738000
sourceId
159880
dept
African Art
coll
African Art
med
Raffia palm fiber (Raphia ruffia or R. vinifera) and leopard claws
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
4d1dad27fefad041