Ndop (Kuba)

Ndop of king Mishe miShyaang maMbul; 1760-1780; wood; 49.5 x 19.4 x 21.9 cm (19Template:Fraction x 7Template:Fraction x 8Template:Fraction in.); Brooklyn Museum (New York City). Ndops are royal memorial portraits carved by the Kuba people of Central Africa. They are not naturalistic portrayals but are intended as representations of the king's spirit and as an encapsulation of the principal of kingship.

Ndop nye nɔnɔmetata  siwo li na Kuba fiaɖuƒea ƒe fia vovovowo (nyim).

Fia ɖekɛɖekɛwo ƒe nɔnɔmetatawo

Togbɔ be nɔnɔmetata ƒomevi la dzena le dzɔdzɔme nu hã la, menye subɔvi aɖewo koŋ ƒe nɔnɔmetata ŋutɔŋutɔwoe dzɔna o, ke boŋ enye nukpɔkpɔ ƒe nuŋɔŋlɔ siwo lii na fia si ku ƒe nɔnɔme nyuitɔwo ƒe taƒoƒo. Wotsɔa dzesi sue aɖe, si woyɔna be ibɔl, dea dzesi dziɖula ɖekɛɖekɛwo ƒe dziɖuɖu le nɔnɔmetata la me abe gɔmeɖokpe ene. Woɖea nɔnɔmetata ɖe sia ɖe gɔme kple tɔtrɔ ɖe nɔnɔmewo ŋu kple amea ƒe nɔnɔmetata gã aɖe le dzidzenu si wowɔ le ɖoɖo nu kple esi wòwɔna le dzɔdzɔme nu hã. Wokpa nɔnɔmetata siwo ƒe kɔkɔme anɔ abe setimeta Blaenau vɔ entire va se ɖe blaatɔ̃ vɔ atɔ̃ ene, eye wotsɔ dzomi sia na wo kple susu be nudzodzoewo nagaɖe fu na wo o,  esia le tɔxɛ le Afrikatɔwo ƒe aɖaŋudɔwo me eye wònaa be wogali  va denɛ egbegbe le Ɣetoɖoƒetɔwo ƒe nudzraɖoƒewo. Ndop ƒe nɔnɔmetatawo ɖea ame siwo bɔbɔ nɔ anyi hekpali afɔ, eye wògaɖe nɔnɔme tɔxɛ si le Afrikatɔwo ƒe nɔnɔmetatawo me fiana.

Nu la ɖɔɖɔ

Ndop ɖea dziɖula si tsɔ aʋawɔnu ɖe eƒe miasi, si nye ikul alo ŋutifafahɛ, si wowɔ le atsyã si wodzra ɖo ɖi na Bushoong, si nye Kubatɔwo ƒe hatsotso sue si li. Ati ƒe nɔnɔmetata sia nɔa fia ƒe nɔƒe kple numeme bubuwo si woyɔa be fia ƒe afawo si dzi fia  ƒe akunyawɔwɔ ƒe ŋusẽwo nɔ nɔna la. Nenye be fia la mele toxɔdua me o la, wosia ami na ndop la.  Agbalẽnyalagãwo dɔ de eme  be wodze fia wodze fia ƒe nɔnɔmetata sia wɔwɔ da ɖi gɔme abe dekɔnu mɔnu ene ƒe alafa wuienyia ƒe nuwuwu lɔƒo.

Nu siwo kple mɔnu siwo dzi wotona wɔa wo

One of the three Ndop statues in the British Museum

Ndop nɔnɔmetata etɔawo dometɔ ɖeka si nɔ anyi ɖe Britaniatɔwo ƒe Blenanudzraɖoƒe la. Be woawɔ nɔnɔmetata vovovo siawo ƒe  goglome woanɔ nogo la, nɔnɔmetatawɔla la wɔa dɔ kple adze koŋ, si ƒe asiléƒe nye ati si ŋu wotsɔ  ƒe gakpo  ƒe aɖe le ɖo le 'acute angle ƒe nɔnɔme nu la. Wozã hɛ kple nu siwo wotsɔ ƒlɔa nu be woazrɔ̃nyuie hã. Kuba atikpalawo ɖe kadodo si le asi nyui asi nyui kple ŋku kple dɔwɔnuawo dome heɖea nɔnɔmetata deto siawo ɖe go tsitotsito. Tsɔ kpe ɖe mo ƒe nɔnɔme kple ŋutilã ƒe akpawo lé dzɔdzɔme ƒe nɔnɔme nu la, nɔnɔmetatawɔla la gbugbɔa ŋutilãa kple 'collarbones' kpakple nuyiawo ƒe nɔnɔmetata.

Ndop nɔnɔmetata bubu si nɔ anyi ɖe Britaniatɔwo ƒe Blemanudzraɖoƒe, eye wobui be axɔ ƒe alafa eve sɔŋ.

Ati sesẽsiwo wotsɔ wɔe kple dzomi si wosia na woƒe dɔwo la naa be enɔa anyi didi ɖe, kpɔɖeŋu do ŋgɔ ɖewoe nye ndop si le Brooklyn Blemanudraɖoƒe ƒe nuƒoƒuwo me, si nye ati dɔwo ƒe xoxotɔ dometɔ ɖeka si gali egbe le anyigbagã la dzi. Ndop nukpakpa etɔ̃si tso Kuba fiaɖuƒea gale Britaniatɔwo ƒe Blemanudzraɖoƒe. Hungarian tsatsala aɖe si woyɔna be Emil Today lae te nu siawo ƒoƒu,  wogblɔ be wo dometɔ ɖeka li tso keke ƒe alafa wuienyia me ke,  eye esia wɔe be enye wònye xoxotɔwo dometɔ ɖeka si gale Sub- Saharan Afrika fifia. Nɔnɔmetata eve siwo ɖi esiawo la hã le Fia ƒe blemanudraɖoƒe na Titina Afrika,  si le Belgium la.

Another Ndop seated statue in the British Museum, estimated to be over 200 years old

Ndope ƒe wɔƒewo

Nenye be wowu ŋusédoame kɔnuawo nu vɔ la, wogblɔ be nyim la de dɔ asi na nɔnɔmetatawɔla be wòwɔ ye nɔnɔmetata si aɖii ndop ƒe nɔnɔme ene la. Woate ŋu awɔ ndop ɖeka ko na fia aɖe, eye ne meli o la, womate ŋu awɔe o. Ne nɔnɔmetata la gblẽ le ɣeyiɣi aɖe megbe la, woɖe mɔ be woawɔ eƒe nɔnɔmetata si aɖii pɛpɛpɛ.

Abe fia ƒe agbemeŋusẽ ƒe teƒe aɖe le ku megbe la, woxɔe se be wogblɔ be nyim la xɔa nɔƒe eve, si nye eƒe luʋɔ  ƒe kpeɖeŋutɔ. Woxɔe se be ne nane dzɔ ɖe fia la dzi la, adze le nɔnɔmea me. Le kpɔɖeŋu me, ne fia aɖe xɔ abi le aʋawɔwɔ me la, abi ma tɔgbe adze le nɔnɔmetata si wotsɔ wɔe la ŋu. Wodzra kpememea ɖo ɖe nyɔnuwo ƒe nɔƒewo, eye nɛ harem la me nyɔnu aɖe be yeadzi vi la, wotsɔe nɛ daa eƒe exa be wòaka ɖe edzi be ana wòadzi bɔbɔe ɖe. Ne fia la meli o la, ewɔa dɔ abe teƒenɔla ene, si fiasãa ƒe nyɔnuwo asi ami na  ahaƒo ʋu. Le eƒe ku megbe la, woɖea ndop la yia nudzraɖoƒe la eye wohenɛ doa go be amewo woakpɔ le ŋkeke tɔxɛ aɖewo ko dzi.