What is the true Story of this Kongo Basket?
For 200 years, this basket was considered as a simple container for cashew nuts from Martinique. Inventoried in 1824 as a «basket made by a Savage» in a set of so-called «Caribbean» objects, its «American» provenance was not called into question until it was exhibited at the MEG in 2016 when a visitor recognized it and toppled deeprooted certainties. It then recovered its identity, that of a magnificent piece of basketwork emblematic of the Kingdom of Kongo in Central Africa. This powerful regime, converted to Catholicism in the late 15th century under Portuguese patronage, formed many diplomatic and commercial relations with conquering Europe. This resulted in the circulation of woven objects, fabrics and carved ivory pieces which adorned the curiosity cabinets of the cosmopolitan aristocracy and rich Western merchants up until the 18th century. When, and in what circumstances, did this basket cross the Atlantic to reach the Caribbean before being brought to Geneva? Or was it the work of a person with knowledge of the art of Kongo basketweaving held as a slave on a Caribbean plantation in the 18th century?
Floriane Morin/MEG
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These are historical evidence of Western hegemonic thinking.
Their presence is indicated by this symbol.
