Caryatid stool "kihona", before 1909
Linden-Museum, Stuttgart, Germany (Inventory No. “58677”)
Arthur Speyer, Berlin, Germany (1938)
Friedrich Wield, Hamburg, Germany (1940)
Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, 22 September 2007, lot 515
Description
light brown wood, matt brown patina, raised scarification marks, handwritten collection number “58677” at the bottom of the base, at the same place: “Lu 13”, min. dam., slight trcaes of abrasion, fine cracks, missing part (base);
Luba stools do function as thrones, and are sat upon sometimes. But mainly they are embodiment of royal authority and most important insignia of kingship. Their sanctity was so great and their value so high that they were usually kept away in a secret location. Luba royal stools and most other emblems depict the female form, for power was considered to be gendered as both male and female. Beyond their role as the insignia of a king or chief, Luba stools have a metaphoric dimension, as mnemonic devices for the remembrance of key aspects of Luba royal history. For Luba scarifcation patterns were a true form of inscription, in the sense that the designs were intended to be carriers of information and memory, biographical traces of particular life histories within the Luba cultural constellation.
Comparing literature
Neyt, Francois, Luba, Aan de Bronnen van de Zaire, Paris 1994, p. 88Publications
AHDRC: 0032063