Tukula Bongotol

Two species of tropical tree, the camwood (Baphia nitida) and the African padauk (Pterocarpus), are valued for their red heartwood and the pigment derived from it. The trees are found widely but production of the pigment, known in central Africa as tukula, is localized. The powder is a key ingredient in textile dyes both within communities which manufacture it and without. It is also valued as a cosmetic and for enhancing and decorating carved objects, such as those in Kuba funerary rituals. Tukula is made by grinding a log with a stone or against another hardwood blank. The process is cooled and lubricated with water, making a paste. The collected pulp is then dried. As transporting raw logs or powder are both inconvenient, the Kuba for generations have commodified tukula by forming it into bricks of various shapes, often decorated with patterns which may signify the maker and thereby suggest the quality of the material. The bricks, known as bongotol to the Kuba, may also be presented as gifts, in which case they may be sculpted into portrait heads or prestigious representations of status objects such as pottery or furnishings. Among the examples depicted, here is one in the form of a cooking vessel.

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