Luba - Repubblica Democratica del Congo

A female Luba bowl keeper in a kneeling seated position, elongated legs apart touching the base of the bowl, cylindric torso, elongated arms and hands touching the rims of the bowl, a thick large neck carrying la large elongated head with a plunging jawline, a thin half opened mouth, short thin nose, large eyes, the forehead is pulled back into into the classical Luba style, she is wearing a beaded necklace, scarifications on the abdomen, the bowl is large and has one handle; glossy by use, some insect damage, signs of use. Certificate of provenance.

“Luba representations of female bowl bearers served as instruments of personal divination, and in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were primarily considered symbols of sacred office. Like the seat of office exhibited nearby, such female images allude to the potent relationship between women and Luba kingship, and the importance of communication with the spirit world in the context of divination and healing. Only a few works have been attributed to what has been described by scholars as the Middle Lukuga Workshop. Distinctive for their oblong faces, wide foreheads, downturned arched eyebrows, straight noses, and overall softly carved features, these figures show the influence of the neighboring Hemba peoples.”

Source: The MET Museum