Nzinga Collection

Queen Nzinga, a visionary, military leader, and astute diplomat, governed the people of Angola (Ndongo and Matamba) with a blend of fiery determination and icy resolve. Central to this narrative is the Community Unity symbol (a dot within a circle), representing Queen Nzinga’s unwavering dedication to her people.

The Mauritanian Women’s Cushion pattern, typically used to signify a woman's wealth and nobility with four open triangles facing each other at the closed points, is depicted here as two facing open triangles and two dots. This adaptation symbolizes a particular legend of Nzinga: when a Portuguese colonel refused to provide her with a seat during negotiations, one of her soldiers folded himself into a bench for her to sit upon. At the conclusion of the meeting, Queen Nzinga slit the soldier’s throat, declaring, “I never use the same seat twice.”

The Fini N’Goloni Serakele pattern (zig-zagged lines, signifying a journey) surrounded by dots represents Nzinga's transformation from a warrior princess to a diplomat, and ultimately, to a Warrior Queen. These symbols are continuously placed together to form the Warrior’s Belt, a belt adorned with continuous patterns to celebrate a warrior's achievements. The extraordinary journey of Queen Nzinga's resilience is woven into this pattern, acknowledging the fierce queen that resides in all of us.