The Nyimi Mabiintsh III is fifty years old. He acquired the throne at the age of twenty. As a descendant of god the creator, the king is attributed with supernatural powers. Due to his top position he is restricted by several contraints: he does not have the right to sit on the ground, and he cannot cross a cultivated field. Apart from his cook, no one has seen him eat. Moreover he never travels without him, and his personal cooking ustensils.
It took Laine three weeks to photograph the Nyimi (king) of the Kuba in his royal apparel, the “bwantshy”. The outfit made out of material stitched with beads and “cauris” (small shells used as money in Africa), weighs 160 lb. It takes more than two hours to dress the King, and two days of spiritual preparation to be sufficiently purified in order to wear the outfit. The weight and the heat of the bwantshy is such, that it is impossible to wear it more than one hour. The preceeding King had only worn it three time during his entire life.
https://twistedsifter.com/2012/07/kings-of-africa-portraits-by-daniel-laine/
Thanks so much for sharing!!
He was so young when he acquired the throne, 20 years old!
The photographer, Daniel Lane did a series of photos of african kings. https://twistedsifter.com/2012/07/kings-of-africa-portraits-by-daniel-laine/
For those interested some of the highlights of the enduring political system of the Kuba Kingdom:
State Centralization: The Kuba Kingdom was able to establish a more centralized and organized state than many other independent villages or chieftaincies in the region.
**Complex Institutions:**The kingdom had a range of political and social institutions, including an unwritten constitution, separation of political powers, a judicial system with courts and juries, a police force, a military, and a system of taxation.
Cultural Impact: The very fact that the Kuba Kingdom's institutions have had long-term effects on cultural norms, as indicated by the text, speaks to the power and influence that this kingdom had. This can be seen as positive in the sense that the Kingdom left a lasting legacy. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44955153