Anthromorphic harps are stringed instruments associated with the Mangbetu people. The resonator was either in an hour glass or oval form and covered with exotic animal skins. These harps were elegantly carved and usually featured a summit with an elongated head. An elongated head was highly regarded as a physical feature on humans as well. The Mangbetu would apply various methods of sustained, but gentle pressure on the skulls of their infants to change the shape of their head.
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Belgium lagged far behind the other European powers in colonial possessions; it had none. There was growing tensions amongst the countries vying to establish or extend their colonial claims in Africa. The Berlin Conference of 1884 pulled the leading countries of Europe together with the goal of peacefully dividing Africa. King Leopold II of Belgium walked away from the conference with a substantial concession; he won control of the Congo through his privately held Association Internationale Africaine.
