Axe · D. R. Congo, Luba · ID: 3039641
not available anymore
Provenance
Jan Lundberg, Malmö, SwedenSize
H: 37,5 cm
H: 14.8 inch
Description
wood, brown patina, iron, metal tags, anthropomorphic head with cascade-like coiffure, the mortised blade emerging from the mouth, min. dam., slight traces of abrasion and corrosion, base;
aside their role as prestige emblems, axes carry more profound messages in Luba royal ritual. Above all they play a central role in the initiation rites of “mbudye”, an association responsible for inducting persons into royal office. The axe is the instrument used to clear the path.
Comparing literature
Fischer, Werner & Manfred A. Zirngibl, Afrikanische Waffen, Passau 1978, p. 137, ill. 247