Pende man wearing headdress known as mukotte, Kakabola village, Congo (Democratic Republic)

"This Pende (or Mbala) headdress is derived from a similar hairstyle (for both men and women) in which long hair is mixed with clay and oil, braided with raffia and decorated with nail heads, cowrie shells or beads. The hairstyle and the headdress are known as mikotte or mukotte. The wearing of these was condemned by missionaries, but in the early 1930s the mikotte hairstyle appears to have experienced a revival, as a protest against white rule." [Grootaers J.-L., Eisenburger I., 2002 : Headgear: Hats and Combs; Forms of Wonderment. Vol. 2. Africa Museum, Berg en Dal]. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon traveled to Africa from early March 1951 to July 1951, accompanied by his wife, Joan B. Elisofon.