Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Luba / Kusu, ca. early 20th century CE. A lovely hand-carved wooden statue of a seated female figure holding an offering bowl or cup known as an mboko. Highly stylized, the charming figure presents a cylindrical torso, prominent pointed breasts, a thick neck, and elongated arms and legs that extend before her, gently bending at her elbows and knees, to hold a an offering cup at her feet. Her heart-shaped visage features a full-lipped smile, a flat nose, and two almond-shaped eyes held shut. Just above her petite ears, an elaborate coiffure or headdress mounts her head, beautifully incised with diagonal striations on its side, with a grid pattern at its top to represent feathers or hair, and a corseted midsection. A fine motif of lattice-filled diamond-shapes adorns her back, while two decorative rectangles are featured on each of her thighs. Her offering vessel showcases a round base with thick walls that rise to a circular rim that is carefully incised with a geometric pattern. Size: 8" L x 4.75" W x 6.25" H (20.3 cm x 12.1 cm x 15.9 cm)

Luba master carvers frequently explore the female body as they believe that female figures transmit life and Luba traditions. Hence sculpting a woman's body is a highly spiritual act amongst the Luba. Female cup bearers such as this example link women to the sacred, as they are important figures in Luba divinatory traditions. Cup bearers typically kneel or sit holding a calabash or divination cup between their hands and knees. This cup is often filled with white powder or mpembaused to help her commune with the world of the spirits or vidye.

According to the Metropolotican Museum of Art, "Luba bowl figures commemorate the first mythical Luba diviner, Mijibu wa Kalenga, and were primarily the preserve of royal diviners, who used them as oracles. More recently, such works have also been commissioned by rulers for use as containers filled with sacred chalk, an empowering material associated with purity, renewal, and the spirit world. Mboko are thus icons of royal authority and legitimacy; their ownership by both types of patrons points to the historic relationship between divination and the origins of the Luba state."

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-Dr. Edward A. Speigel (1923 to 2020) collection, Professor of Astronomy at New York University and Columbia University who worked on convection theory and on the application of fluid dynamics to astrophysics, as well as discovered chaos theory.

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#162168

Two collection labels on base. Repairs to front of cup and proper right big toe with some fissures along break lines. Expected light abrasions throughout. Otherwise, very nice with light earthen deposits in recessed areas.