LUBA, Democratic Republic of Congo - Lot 403

LUBA, Democratic Republic of Congo Male ancestor fetish bust. Wood, old brown patina, thick in places. Height Height : 40 cm Length : 13 cm Note : A people settled in the south-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Luba developed a kingdom from the 16th century onwards, structured around a sacred kingship and a system of transmission based on the memory of ancestors. Sculpture played an essential role. Ancestor figures, characterized by a large head as a symbol of knowledge, are used in ritual practices linked to power, divination and domestic altars. They ensure the continuity of the group by materializing the presence of the ancestors, guarantors of social equilibrium and the legitimacy of the authorities. Provenance : - Probably Jean Willy Mestach (1926-2014), Brussels, Belgium - Andrée-Laure Seret (1931-2014), Brussels, Belgium - Adrian Schlag, Brussels, Belgium, by 2015 - Stefaan Grusenmeyer, Bangkok, Thailand