TRIBES
& PEOPLE GROUPS
Teke people
- Kidumu tribe
The Teke tribal people originate
from the Ogowe region in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon. They are
part of the Kidumu tribe who has very strong spiritual values and the family
is the most important social unit of the tribe.  The
Teke people usually have one family head that has the right to life and death
over all the family members and is often called upon as a ‘tribunal chief’
or mfumu mpugu to decide the fate of a family member when they have done
wrong doings. The ‘tribal chief’ has a tendency to own many slaves and
controls the lives of others as he increases his power and status. The name of
the Teke people originates from the occupation of the tribal Teke people—that
is, trading—from teke, meaning, “to buy. The economy of the Teke is
mainly based on farming maize, millet and tobacco, but the Teke are also hunters,
skilled fishermen and traders. They believe in a supreme being, the creator of
the universe called Nzambi, whose favors can be obtained with the help
of tutelary spirits  
The
Teke people are very spiritual and the tribal chief was chosen as the religious
leader. He was highly respected and never doubted in any decision he made. He
was the most important member of any family and is the person that would contact
the spiritual Gods through potions and bones to speak to the spirits and rule
safety over his people. 
 The
Teke or Kidumu people are well known for their Teke masks, which are round flat
disk like wooden masks that have abstract patterns and geometric motifs with horizontal
lines that are painted in earthly colors, mainly dark blue, blacks, browns and
clays. The traditional Teke masks all have triangle shaped noses. The masks have
narrow eye slits to enable the masker to see without being seen. They have holes
pierced along the edge for the attachment of a woven raffia dress with feathers
and fibers. The dress would add to the mask's costume and conceal the wearer These
Teke masks are mainly used in traditional dancing ceremonies such as wedding,
funeral and initiation ceremonies of young men entering adult hood. These disk
shaped masks are used as social and political identifiers of social structure
within a tribe or family.
Teke
artists carve fetish figures. Three elements are characteristic: a variety of
headdresses, the presence of fine parallel scarifications on the cheeks, and the
addition of fetish materials bonga either in an abdominal cavity or in a body-enveloping
sack from which the head and feet protrude. Each figure has its own specific purpose
not related directly to its appearance. Figures of identical appearance serve
also for success in hunting, trading, and other activities, each figure's purpose
being known only to the owner. These figures protect and assist the Teke and,
if a fetish figure successfully demonstrates its power, its owner may detach bonga,
break it into several pieces and insert fragments into other figures.
The
French first arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo in late 1800. History
has shown the French to occupy the Congo in the 1880’s. During this period
traditional Teke ceremonies were very few, the French ruled the Congo for 80 years
and during this period the Teke people suffered heavily from colonial exploits
with government gathering land for their own use and ensuing damage to traditional
economies including massive displacement of people. This cause the local economy
and food reproduction to dwindle and it was only much later in the 1960’s
that the Teke people started to gain back their independence and traditional life
started to flourish once again.
A selection of a few Teke Carvings available from African Crafts Market.
Abstract art~ African
figures ~ African busts ~ animal
skins ~ Tribal Zulu / Ndebele bead work
~ candles ~ candle holders
~ African canes ~ chessboards
~ clay art ~ cooking
utensil ~ cushions ~ Tribal
drums ~ footwear ~ furniture
~ gemstones ~ hats ~ animal
horns ~ handmade jewelry ~ lights
& lamp shades ~leather ~ African
tribal masks ~ decoupage ostrich eggs
~ paintings ~ postcards
~ Zulu shields ~ stone
animals ~ stone eggs ~ tablecloths
~ tableware ~
~ wire art ~ wood animals
~ wood tableware ~ Zulu
woven baskets
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