Kuba Beaded Cup
The beaded drinking cups of the Kuba kingdom of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are carved from wood and densely covered with cowrie shells, brass tacks, and patterns of imported glass beads in geometric bands. Owned by kings, titled nobles, and wealthy men, the cups were used in the court ceremonies where palm wine was shared, and they were kept among the treasured possessions of the palace or the lineage house. Some cups take the form of a human head or a pair of feet, while others are plain beakers, and the intricate beadwork set the craftsmen of the royal workshops apart from ordinary