The royal defenders or Iyol surround the 125th king of the BaKuba people, Emille Torday, during a portrait session at his residence in Kinshasa. The plume of feathers that the Iyol on the near right wears are given to him when he has successfully carried out an assignment for the king, usually of a difficult or even gruesome nature. The men on either side of the king are two of his royal dressers. On his right is nobleman and royal dresser, Emmanuel Kwete, and on his left is Mboyi Kontshi, royal counsellor and dresser.
12
