House at the royal capital. Mushenge, Congo (Democratic Republic)

"Kuba houses have been described as basketry upon poles because the walls were constructed of highly decorated woven mats. Houses were rectangular in shape with saddle roofs and courtyards. The roofs and walls were constructed from woven palm fronds. Sliding doors were added at the end of the nineteenth century. Each house was divided into two rooms by a partition. The Kuba created attics by laying screens between the top of walls and the roof. The capital city was mobile and corvee labor was required for its construction and maintenance. The lightweight houses were moved from one location to another as the new king established his residence. The royal houses were rarely higher than fourteen feet and were pyramidal in shape with steeple-crown roofs." [Toyin Falola, 2000: Africa. African Cultures and Societies before 1885. Carolina Academic Press]. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for National Geographic and traveled to Africa from January 19, 1972 to mid April 1972.