Twin figure or doll ·  D. R. Congo, Luba · ID: 3051115

Description

wood, glass beads,

Twins are sacred for Luba and Luba-related peoples; they are called “children of the moon”, and can be the harbingers of both good and evil. Twins must be honored and appeased through devotional songs, prayers, blessings, and gifts made every month on the night of a new moon.

If a twin dies, a small figurine is carved for him, which - similar to the Yoruba’s “ibeji” - is cared for and looked after like a child.

Comparing literature

Roberts, Mary Nooter & Allan F. Roberts, Memory, Luba Art and the Making of History, New York 1996, p. 66, cat. 18