Luba ancestor figure
Tradition and beauty in African art
African monoxyle statue of Luba origin carved with the effigy of the founding ancestor of the kingdom. In African Luba art, representations of women are the main theme. Thus, we find female figures on everyday and ritual objects as much as in statuary.
Here, this beautiful full-length statue features a woman standing, her hands resting on her chest, which refers to the nurturing capacity of the mother of the kingdom. Similarly, the swollen abdomen suggests that she carries a child within her, in this case the liberated Luba people.
In terms of style, we find the headdress pulled back, chin up giving a dignified look. The trunk is decorated with traditional scarifications which are of course found in the dermal tradition of the Baluba (and other ethnic groups of the Congo as well) as evidenced by the contextual photo of this pretty woman with a firm and generous chest whose belly is scarified.
01938
Data sheet
- Presumed dating
- Circa 1960
- Size
- 50 cm
- Ethnic group
- Material(s)
- Wood
- Country
- Origin
- Tribal art collection Belgium
- Condition
- Excellent
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Tradition and beauty in African art
African monoxyle statue of Luba origin carved with the effigy of the founding ancestor of the kingdom. In African Luba art, representations of women are the main theme. Thus, we find female figures on everyday and ritual objects as much as in statuary.
Here, this beautiful full-length statue features a woman standing, her hands resting on her chest, which refers to the nurturing capacity of the mother of the kingdom. Similarly, the swollen abdomen suggests that she carries a child within her, in this case the liberated Luba people.
In terms of style, we find the headdress pulled back, chin up giving a dignified look. The trunk is decorated with traditional scarifications which are of course found in the dermal tradition of the Baluba (and other ethnic groups of the Congo as well) as evidenced by the contextual photo of this pretty woman with a firm and generous chest whose belly is scarified.