Photography of a son of Mwezi Gisabo

The original title says: "Ntussi, Muhozi, son of Mwesi Gisabo"

This picture from the DKG (Deutsche Kolonialgesellschaft/German Colonial Society)-Archive shows one of the sons of Mwezi Gisabo of Burundi. According to the inscription of the photography his name is Muhozi. I was doing some research on this son of Mwezi Gisabo, but there seems to be none with this name. According to Pauwels (1951) the term „muhozi“ is rather connected with a regiment of Rwabugiri, the legendary king of Rwanda. Obviously „muhozi“ is either the result of a misunderstanding of the photographer or a nom d'guerre. Today, „muhozi“ is a very popular surname in interlacustrine Africa, probably because of this connection to Rwabugiri.

It is certainly not Mutaga II, who followed Gisabo to the throne in 1908. Mutaga was then only 15 years old. The man on this picture is somehow in this twenties or so.

However, this photograph is an early example of a photographic style that was about to establish for the portrayal of the aristocracy in interlacustrine Africa by European photographers. It is taken from perspective from the bottom to the top, thus highlighting their ascribed tall stature. Another emerging theme is based on the Hamitic theory. This theory assumes that the aristocracy had migrated from the north in ancient times. Some authors put the origins as far as the Middle East or Egypt, the scenery of biblical history. The photographer plays around this biblical theme. 

The photographer is unknown, but I am almost sure that it was Hans Meyer, who was the photographer of the picture of Mwesi Gisabo.