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THE FOUR MOMENTS OF THE SUN
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Copyright ' 1981BoardofTrustees. National Library of Congress Cataloging in Publica The following abbreviations are used in the
Gallery of Art, Washington. All rights re tion Data: photo captions to indicate the locations of
served. No part of this publication may be Thompson, Robert Farris. the objects illustrated:
reproduced without written permission The four moments of the sun. Goteborg Museum = Etnografiska Museet,
from the National Gallery of Art. Washing "Catalogue": p Goteborg, Sweden
ton, D.C. 20565. Bibliography: p IMNZ = Institut des Musees Nationaux du
TOhffiiscec.atNaalotigounealwGasallperroyduocfeAdrt.byWtaheshEindgittoorns. E1x.hSicbuitlpiotnusre.,2.BSackuolnpgtoure(A,fPrircimanitivpee—oplZea)i—re— ZRaieirtbe.erKginMshuasseau,mZa=ireMuseum Rietberg,
CProinnnteedctibcyutE.astern Press, Inc., New Haven. BExahkoibnitgioons(A.fr3i.caFnunepreaolprleite)—s aInndfluceernecmeo-nies, TZeurrviciihre,nSwMituzseerulamnd= Musee Royal de
Typesetting by Hodges Typographers, Inc., Exhibitions. 4. Funeral rites and ceremonies, l'Afrique Centrale, Terviiren. Belgium
Black—North America— Exhibitions.
Silver Spring. Maryland.
The text and cover papers are Warren I. Cornet, Joseph. II. National Gallery of
Cameo Dull. Art (U.S.). III. Title.
Designed by Susan Lehmann. NB1099.C6T5 730'.09675' 10740153
Edited by Nancy Heller. 81-14033
ISBN 0-89468-003-X AACR2
Exhibition dates:
August 30. 1981-January 17, 1982.
All the basic research for the execution of
the catalogue map was prepared byJ.Cornet
and members of the staffof the Institut des
Musees Nationaux du Zaire. Exhibition
catalogue map by PeterJ. Balch and John
D. Garst, Jr. of the National Geographic
Society.
Unless otherwise indicated, all photographs
were taken by the National Gallery of Art,
Washington.
Cover: detail of terra-cotta grave marker.
Institut des Musees Nationaux du Zaire,
Kinshasa (cat. no. 41).
11 Foreword by J. Carter Brown
13 Preface by President Mobutu
14 Acknowledgements (Joseph Cornet)
15 Acknowledgements (Robert Farris Thompson)
27 Introduction irfti
Chapter I 34 Kongo Civilization and Kongo Art (rfti
Chapter II 141 The Structure of Recollection:
The Kongo New World Visual Tradition (rft)
III
Chapter 211 Stone Funerary Sculpture uci
Chapter IV 220 Funerary Terra Cottas uo
225 Catalogue
247 Bibliography
The making of the exhibition, The Four Moments ofthe Sun: Kongo Art in Two
Worlds, involved the intellectual comradeship of scholars from both African and
Western worlds. Frere Joseph Cornet, a Delegue General in Zaire, and director
of the Institut des Musees Nationaux du Zaire, initiated the idea of an exhibition
of Kongo stone funerary sculpture. Over several years, his concept for such an
exhibition expanded through discussion and study with Prof. Robert Farris
Thompson of Yale University to include Kongo cloth funerary mannequins, terra
cotta grave markers, and wooden statues from ancestor shrines. In the process,
there emerged an Afro-American dimension characterized by a close relationship
between certain gestures and icons from Kongo funerary art which are also found
in several places among black populations of the Western Hemisphere. Thus, this
became the first exhibition to focus upon the ancient and important funerary art
of this African civilization, and at the same time to reveal the trans-oceanic
significance of these images and their iconography as fundamental manifestations
on both shores of the Atlantic world.
There are other "firsts" generated by this exhibition. For example, this is the first
time that Kongo stone and ceramic sculpture from the reserve collections of the
Institut des Musees Nationaux du Zaire have been seen in such number outside
that nation. Especially privileged is our showing of a superb series of Kongo
terra-cotta grave markers, none of them ever shown before in North America. We
are grateful to Frere Cornet and his colleagues in Zaire for bringing to fruition
this spendid loan. Cornet made several field trips to the area surrounding Boma,
expressly to gather exhibition objects that would enhance our understanding of
them. In addition, colleagues in Sweden, Belgium. Switzerland, France, and the
United States cooperated in bringing together a constellation of additional loans
never before gathered on this continent. Especially generous was the Musee Royal
de l'Afrique Centrale, Terviiren, Belgium. Thanks to the kind ministrations of
Huguette van Geluwe and Albert Maesen, Kongo stone statuary and cloth manne
quins from that museum's extraordinary collections were added to our exhibition.
Their muzidi and mintadi are seen in addition to a rare flat scepter carved with
ancient Kongo ideographs and gestures, which shed light on Afro-American life.
We also thank Eberhard Fischer, of the Museum Rietberg, Zurich, Count Baudoin
de Grunne and M. Dartevelle. of Brussels, for extraordinary loans.
Raoul Lehouard, in Paris, shared his expertise, and Francois Chanudet, of the
Musees d'Histoire Naturelle etd'Ethnographie in La Rochelle, was equally helpful in
expediting the shipment ofafine crimson hembe mannequin to the National Gallery.
II
In Sweden we were assisted by the helpful counsel on Kongo art and culture
from Kjell Zetterstrom. Ragnar Widman, Bertil Soderberg, and Anita Jacobson-
Widding. Zetterstrom kindly allowed the shipping of a striking niombo from the
Goteborg Museum. Widman and Soderberg, in Stockholm, found a rare 1927
film of a cloth mannequin being carried in procession to its grave and provided a
print. Stills from it are in this catalogue, constituting the first publication of
a priceless cinematographic document. Michael Kan, Deputy Director and Curator
of African, Oceanic and New World Cultures, Detroit Institute of Arts, generously
shared his time in locating important photographs, secured permission for the
loan of the spectacular n'kondi in the collection of the Institute, and performed
other acts of comradeship for us. Zairois scholars made themselves extraordinarily
useful, especially Fu-Kiau Bunseki, Mbuta Wamba. and Kimpianga Mahaniah. John
Janzen. Wyatt MacGaffey, and Daniel Biebuyck. themselves leading American
scholars of Kongo culture and religion, checked the manuscript and brought to
our attention important African publications on Kongo art for the dead.
At the National Gallery, more members of its hardworking staff have been
involved than there is space here to mention. I must cite in particular, however.
Charles Parkhurst, the AssistantDirector, whohaspersonallysteered this exhibition
to fruition with diplomacy and dedication; Professor Henry Millon, Dean of the
Gallery's Center of Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, who has helped place
the exhibition in the context of contemporary scholarship; and Gaillard Ravenel
and his design staff, who have come up with the innovative installation.
In sum, FourMoments ofthe Sun constitutes a memorable and gratifying
exercise in international colleagueship. To all who were involved, we offer our
deepest thanks.
J. Carter Brown, Director
