Ili (Kongo)

Kongo na-etinye ihe oyiyi nkume a na-akpọ tumba (okwu Ki-Kongo, pl. bitumba) n'ili nke ndị dị ike.  E kere Bitumba na Zaire na Angola n'ime Major afọ nke iri na mbụ na mbụ nke iri abụọ.  Okwu tumba sitere na okwu Kikongo "tumbama" nke putara "dobe ma obu idobe ya n'ihu".  [1] N'asụsụ Punu nke agbataobi Republic of Congo, okwu itumbe "ihe oyiyi, ihe osise, ihe oyiyi", na-egosi njikọ. 

 Akụrụngwa na akụkụ 
Egburu Bitumba na nkume dị nro. Ogologo ha dị ihe dị ka sentimita 50; Nke kacha nta bitumba dị n'agbata 15 na 20 centimeters na nke kachasị dị ihe dịka otu mita n'ịdị elu. 

 Akụkọ ihe mere eme 
Onye na-ese ihe bụ Robert Verly chị ọnụ ọgụgụ buru ibu nke ihe oyiyi n'ebe ugwu Angola nke dị nso n'ókè Zaire, na ná akara May 1955 nke Zaire, o kewara ihe ndị ahụ n'ụdị ma tụpụtapụta maka ojiji.  ha.  [1] Na July 1978, Institut des Musees Nationaux du Zaire na Center for International Commerce of Zaire na Kinshasa mere ihe ngosi nke bitumba 72 nke a set "Sculptures Stones from Lower Zaire."

 Ụdị na Gburugburu 
Ihe ọkpụkpụ Bitumba pụrụ iche n'ụdị ha dị iche iche. Robert Farris Thompson achọpụtala ihe dị ka ogbako iri abụọ na-akọwa ụdị onye ọ bụla. Otú ọ dị, mgbasawanye nke ọrụ ahụ emeela ka ọ ghara ikwe omume ịchọta ebe ha na-emepụta ihe.

Bitumba na- akara isiokwu dị iche iche.  Ihe a kacha mkpa - ihe dị ka akara iri abụọ nke ihe oyiyi a bụ nke ụdị a - bụ onye na-ebuli aka ya elu n'ihu ya na ike ahụ a na-akpa dị ka ikpe ekpere.  aha mbụ ewu ewu bụ nke nne na nwa.  Nkà nke Lower Zaire, na akụkụ nka nke Mayombe, mara maka ihe ọkụ ọkụ ihe ọkụ .  ndepụta nke atọ bụ nke "onye na-eche echiche," onye na-ejide aka n'úkwù na nke ọzọ na-enwe ike ike ntụgharị uche.

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