“Originally, the Kongo kingdom comprised of separate tribes – the Vili, the Yombe, the Beembe, the Bwende and the Woyo, among others were led by a king, the Ntotela, who was elected by a council of governors. The Ntotela controlled the nominations for official positions at court and in the provinces. The main economic resources of the empire were ivory, copper and the slave trade.

The 300,00 Yombe people are artistically prolific. Their maternity figures nail and mirror fetishes have typical shoulder scafifications and a high pointed or rounded coiffure incised with geometric motifs. Mirror and nail fetishes have aggressive expression characterized by an open mouth usually showing filed teeth.”

Source:
Baquart, Jean-Baptiste. The Tribal Arts of Africa. New York: Thames and Hudson Inc. 1998. Print.