Images of the ruling ancestry were primarily important art forms, as were images of existing rulers. In some cases, the simple act of commissioning a portrait was part of a ruler's acceptance of his responsibilities and rights. Among the Kuba people, a tradition of royal portraits, known as ndop, took hold around 1700 and lasted until the colonial era. During each Kuba king's time in power, a wooden sculpture of monumental size was carved, depicting "him" placed on a throne laden with finery of royal status. The collection of existing ndop sculptures represented the reign of the Kuba kings, and the accumulation of the image of the current ruler opened up his place within this lineage. The African method and style of portraiture often replaced idealism with realism, images of rulers sculpted in a specific style tended to look very similar. As a result, each ruler's personal and historical motives were often used in an attempt to be different. The royal subject of an Ndop sculpture could have been identified by his ibol, a royal mark displayed at the time of his coronation. Portraits using personal and historical motifs are also found among the cast brass and carved ivory sculptures of the Kingdom of Benin. Obas (kings) and other citizens of the court were identified from each other by costumes and ceremonial equipment as well as variations in scale and the most important sculpture in a gathering was the largest . However, other motifs were used to represent specific individuals: cast brass objects, an ukhurhe (rattle stick), and an ikegobo (hand altar) presented representations of unique individuals. The ukhurhe was used to summon a ruler to final court ceremonies. Akenzua, one of the leaders...... middle of paper ......frica. Time magazine described him as "the world changer." After months of traveling through the most remote parts of Africa, he was led to a different world, a beautiful place where nature inherited the self-esteem and elegance of the faces of its inhabitants . He tried to portray the natural wandering of people and their way of living. During his travels across Africa, he photographed a collection of intimate portraits and rich, luminous landscapes of the continents. Looking at these portraits, you see the pride in their eyes, their divine harmony, you get lost and experience the undisguised life of the entire continent. Gerth photographed Ethiopian tribes, some in color and others in monochrome; These are square portraits. The survival of the tribe is unfortunately threatened by various developments in the region which affect the lower reaches of the Omo River..