Royal stool – Ex Westerdijk Family collection – Wood – Kipona – Luba – DR Congo

Provenance: Ex – collection Reynold C. Kerr. Bought from him in Amsterdam by H. Westerdijk in 1977.

Thrones of this type were used only for occasions of state and during certain phases of royal investiture. Mostly seen as “the house of the spirit of a deceased king “, such a caryatid stool was first and foremost a sacral and secret emblem of authority. The mother and child theme are very rarely encountered in such royal seats. Women on their own feature in many Luba sculptures, emphasizing the great importance of females in Luba thought, life and history. I know of only a handful of such items. Here the child is in an active role, holding the breast of the mother with both hands, while she steadies the seat with just one hand, supporting her baby with the other. Very fine example of Luba art with smooth surface patina, tribal markings on the abdomen and a squatting position, creating a very lively interaction with the sucking baby.

Literature: Herbert M. Cole: Maternity. Mothers and children in the arts of Africa, Brussels, 2017, fig. 132, pp 136 ff.

Dimensions: 52 x 25 x 25 cm.
Tribe / Region: Central Luba of the Shaba Province of S.E. DRC.
Material: hard wood of the Chlorophora excelsa.
Weight: 4.5 kg.

In good shape, except for some minor chips. Second quarter of the 20th century. The right arm contains a crack in the wood.