Caryatid stool "kipona" ("kihona") with mother figure
Description
wood, pigments, age related cracks
Probably a work of the master carver Kiloko of Bussangu. Posture, physignomy, forehead scarification and the design of the hairstyle speak for it. In this regard, compare other stools, AHDRC 0198109, 0134056 & 0210817.
Kiloko was a Luba-Shankadi wood carver and belonged to the Sungu subgroup (Bena Sungu). In the 1930s he worked in Bussangu, a village about 70 kilometres from Kamina (D.R. Congo). His striking and austere style made him famous. Many of the sculptures categorized as belonging to the Sungu style within the Shankadi complex were probably created by him. His works are characterised by cylindrically shaped bodies and eyes that are reminiscent of coffee beans and show parallels to the traditional Luba style. Another typical feature are the scar tattoos on the forehead: two vertical rows of small squares that extend to the root of the nose.
The caryatid stool is the characteristic emblem of Luba rule, and served as a dwelling place for the king’s spirit.
The female ancestor who is “carrying” the seat - effortlessly and hence metaphorically - symbolises the matrilineal descent through which the monarchy is passed down and legitimised. It was important that the insignia of a male ruler evoke the feminine, for power was considered to be gendered as both male and female. It was essential at all times that both dimensions of this relationship be present in order for the authority of the “mulopwe” to be most effective.