Kuba Lele drum Congo
„The cultures of south Zaire , east Angola and the north-west province of Zambia are mostly characterized by various influential royal dynasties. The best-known drums of the region come from the Kuba kingdom, situated between Kasai and Sankuru. Their skins are attached using a characteristc technique. A strip of leather is placed around the top of the body and nailed to it; the skin is then stitched to the leather strip.Particularly elaborate instruments have a handle on the body carved in the shape of a hand, above which is often a face. According to Olga Boone, the ornaments can be interpreted as signs of an old custom, whereby a distinguished individual could formerly only be accepted into the company of warriors on producing the hand of his slaughtered enemy (Olga Boone - Les tambours du Congo Belge et du Ruanda-Urundi 1951, p.44). Such instruments only ever belong to the king or to one of the regional chieftains."
excerpt from the book: Andreas Meyer - Afrikanische Trommeln West- und Zentralafrika, Berlin 1997 p.243


References:
Boone, Olga : Les tambours du Congo Belge et du Ruanda-Urundi. 2Vol. 1951. Tervuren: Annales du Musée du Congo Belge; Ethnographie 1
Brincard, M.T. : Sounding Forms – African Musical Instruments 1989 Chauvet, Dr. Stephen. Musique Nègre. 1929
Cornet, Joseph : Art From Zaire. 1975
Dagan, Esther A. - Drums : The Heartbeat of Africa edited by Galerie Amrad 1993
Meyer, Andreas : Afrikanische Trommeln – West- und Zentralafrika. Staatliche Museen Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin 1997
Wieschhoff, Heinz : Die afrikanischen Trommeln und ihre außerafrikanischen Beziehungen. Stuttgart 1933