Typically showing a kneeling female figure, with raised arms supporting the flat seat. The head is relatively small, with the body - and in particular, the legs and genitals - wonderfully exaggerated in size. Aluminium strips highlight both eyes, which is a unusual feature with stools from this region. Scarification’s adorn the stomach and darker colour variations of the wood has been achieved by scorching of the surface. The stool has a very dry surface patina. Ex Private Collection, Germany
Despite their functional form, royal stools are not often used for sitting but, rather, are sacred insignia preserved within a king’s palace. The design of Luba stools may either be abstract or figurative. Those incorporating female caryatids give expression to the Luba conception of the female body as a spiritual receptacle that supports divine kingship.
Ex Private Collection, Germany
Estimated Period: 1940's -1950's (Possibly Before)
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