Sitting female bowl bearing figure "mboko" ·  D. R. Congo, Luba · ID: 3045452

Description

Luba bowl figures commemorate the first mythical Luba diviner, “Mijbu wa Kalenga”, and were primarily the preserve of royal diviners “bilumbu”, who used them as oracles.

The female figure can track down malevolent forces and act as a spy in the service of the diviner. Such figures are also reputed to have curative capacities.

Chalk in the bowl is used to paint the diviner’s face as a sign of grace and spiritual enlightenment.

The object Sitting female bowl bearing figure “mboko” with the object ID 3045452 was last part of the auction 91 Tribal Art Auction at March 9, 2019 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 323 achieved a sales price of EUR 5,000.

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Comparing literature

Roberts, Mary Nooter, Memory, New York 1996, p. 200

Publications

Expo.cat.: "BRUNEAF, Brussels Non European Art Fair XVIII", Brussels 2008, 67

AHDRC: 0029919

Exhibition

Brussels, Belgium: "BRUNEAF, Brussels Non European Art Fair XVIII", 4-8 June 2008