The Kuba Kingdom, also known as the Kingdom of the Bakuba, is a conglomerate of several smaller chiefdoms which was formed in the 17th century in the centre of what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It reached its peak during the 19th century, before the arrival of Europeans to the area (although it still exists today). It was founded in 1625 by Shyaam a-Mbul a Ngoong, who came from outside the area and united several principalities under his leadership. The government was controlled by a king (nyim) who attended a court council with representatives from all of the Kuba subgroups. As well as elected political offices, the kingdom also had a judicial system, taxation, a police force, and a military. It gained wealth through the adoption of advanced techniques from neighbouring peoples, as well as the cultivation of New World crops such as maize and tobacco. The wealth of the kingdom allowed for the development of a distinctive artistic tradition because of the desire of the elites to commission artworks that could display their power. Frequent types of objects include embroidered raffia textiles, headdresses, masks, ndop (sculptures representing Kuba kings), cosmetic boxes, and carved palm wine drinking cups. Palm wine, made from the sap of palm trees, is a popular beverage among the Kuba people. Highly decorated vessels became common as a way for elite individuals to compete with each other, as offering wine to friends in an impressive cup was a way of showing their wealth and status.

This cup takes the form of a human head, with the centre hollowed out in order to hold the liquid. The neck forms the base of the cup. The figure’s large oval eyes are open, conveying the sense of a distant gaze, and the face’s expression is peaceful. Above the arching eyebrows and high forehead of the round face, the hairline delineates an area patterned by carved oval shapes to represent the texture of the figure’s hair. The rim emerges from the centre of the head, and at the base of this there is a line of zig-zag patterning. A rectangular handle is connected to the vessel at the back of the neck and the head. Traces of red colouring can be seen on the face and neck of this cup. Tukula, or twool, is a red powder made of ground wood which the Kuba people used to decorate their skin for ceremonies and to dye cloth, because the red colour was associated with beauty. The addition of red colouring to this vessel could therefore have been a way to add to its prestige and aesthetic appeal.