Magazines - Tribal Art Winter 2011

Gustaaf Verswijver is an anthropologist and conservator in the ethnographic department of the Musée Royal de l’Afrique Centrale de Tervuren.

Introduction
The interest of King Léopold III of Belgium in the exploration of Central Brazil was sparked by his first visit to this immense country in the early part of the twentieth century. However, befor his ambition came to fruition, the by-then-abdicated king had to wait until the 1960s, when four carefully organized expeditions allowed him to explore different parts of the country. The huge distances and busy schedule did not allow for long stays in one spot, but Léopold made an exception for the Xingu National Park. Initially his visit to this area was not supposed to be longer than any other stop on the itinerary, but he was so impressed by the natives’ pacific, productive, and positive character, as well as by the attitudes of the reserve’s administrators, that he ended up staying there for more than a month.