relikskulptur, niombo, reliquary sculpture

"The neighboring Bembe created closely related, but stylistically distinct, textile reliquary figures known as muzidi. Whereas Bwende figures invariably stand and their bodies feature a broad torso with arms and legs of equal length, Bembe muzidi are generally seated, with long, narrow torsos and extended limbs terminating in prominently articulated fingers and toes. The relatively small corpus of muzidi that survive in the West suggest that Bembe artists were more inclined to select from a wider range of imported, factory-produced trade cloths to enliven their creations. While all of them draw on boldly patterned prints that emphasize a red palette, no two examples repeat the same one, so that their visual effect varies considerably. Some of these creations skillfully juxtapose contrastingprints" (LaGamma 2007b:43).