Neckrest
D. R. Congo, Luba
sold
EUR 1,700
Provenance
Edouard d’Orjo de Marchovelette, Brussels, Belgium (1901-1985), territorial administrator, who served from 1925 till 1952 in the Belgian Congo. He collected mainly Luba and Lega objects.Didier Claes, Brussels, Belgium
Size
H: 16 cm
L: 15 cm
H: 6.3 inch
L: 5.9 inch
Description
wood, middle brown patina, pokerwork, square base decorated with geometrical incisions, rep. (breakage pillow), cracks, traces of abrasion;
Luba headrests were certainly used by their sleeping owners to help preserve the elaborate coiffures the Luba are noted for. A style such as the Shankadi cascade was styled over a canework frame, it took almost fifty hours to complete, and with the use of a headrest at night, it could last two to three months. While the coiffures are appreciated aesthetically by the Luba, they are also an integral element of social identity. Different Luba coiffures and headdresses are associated with different status and ranks, and with different events in a persons life, like engagement, marriage, widowhead etc.