Niombo
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Niombo are fabric funerary mannequins, or fabric sarcophagi, used by the Bwemde people during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.
The use of Niombo as anthropomorphic coffins in Bwemde funerary rituals is tightly linked to the cultural significance of textiles in the Kongo Kingdom.[1] As a way to merge the human body with textiles, Niombo became an honorific mummification for important members of the community, commemorating their passage into the world of the dead.[1][2] The time and effort spent on the creation of the Niombo, as well as the quantity of cloth required, were a sign of respect towards the dead.[1]
The cloths used to build the Niombo were offered by the community, but could come from a wide variety of sources.[2] From mats, traditional raffia, to imported linens, cotton prints, sheets, silk or even wool blankets collected via trading with Europeans,[1][2] both the quantity and quality of these fabrics served as representations for the prestige and power of the elder being commemorated.[1][3]
The practice, although it arose in the late nineteenth century from a long tradition of Bwemde funerary rituals aiming to preserve parts of human bodies through relics,[1] came to an end in the 1930s, likely due to its costly nature.[3][4]
One of the most well-known Niombo maker in the Western world was named Makosa, or Makoza, and began producing replicas to be sold in Europe in the beginning of the 20th century.[5]
