Online catalogue for the 67th tribal art auction
401 Mask "mfondo"
This object is not available any more.
D. R. Congo, Lualwa
wood, reddish brown patina, kaolin, of hollowed oval form, an elongated medial nose framed by rectangular eyes, dam., missing part at the back, slight traces of abrasion, on metal base; the small hole underneath the nose was used for attachment of a string, serving to hold the mask with the teeth and fix it in front of the face. These masks were used for initiation of the young boys of the "ngongo" society as well as for fertility- and hunting rites.
H: 30 cm
H: 11.8 inch
Provenance
Patric Claes, Brussels, Belgium
Literature
Herreman, Frank, Petridis, Constantijn (ed.), Face of the Spirits, Tervuren 1993, p. 103
Price: 4500 - 8000 €
402 Power half figure "kakudji"
This object is not available any more.
D. R. Congo, Luba
wood, encrusted reddish brown patina, fabric loincloth, hole on top of the head filled with magical mass, necklace with cylindrical wooden pendant and blue glass beads, min. dam., traces of insect caused damage; magical materials included items thought to have rare and enhancing life powers, such as pulverized fragments of human bone, or the hair of twins. By supplying the object in this way, the ritual specialist invites the spirit to inhabit the receptacle, which can then be used to assist with particular tasks.
H: 24,5 cm
H: 9.6 inch
Price: 2500 - 5000 €
403 Power half figure "kakudji"
This object is not available any more.
D. R. Congo, Luba
wood, encrusted dark brown patina, hole on top of the head filled with magical mass, min. dam., slight traces of abrasion
H: 18 cm
H: 7.1 inch
Sold.
404 Small half figure
This object is not available any more.
D. R. Congo, Luba
wood, shiny dark brown patina, necklace, conical torso with accentuated navel, an oval face with pointed chin and cascade-shaped coiffure, cavity on top of the head, min. dam., crack, slight traces of abrasion, on wooden base
H: 11,5 cm
H: 4.5 inch
Provenance
Jan Lundberg, Malmö, Sweden
Eric Grate, Stockholm, Sweden
Price: 3500 - 6000 €
405 Gourd figure "kabwelulu"
This object is not available any more.
D. R. Congo, Luba
wood, reddish brown patina, pokerwork, female half figure rising from a disc-shaped base, linear scarification marks, slightly dam., cracks, rep. (at the back of the base), on pedestal; a "kabwelulu" is a figure surmounting a gourd used during initiation rites of the "bugabo society", an association dedicated to hunting, healing, and fighting crime. The sculpture is an example of a "little world" created out of the bits and pieces of a person's or group's memory and experience: during initiations, novices would place in the gourd certain secret items that would accumulate over time until the sculpture acquired a power far greater than any of its parts. The gourd thus produced the memory of the event of activating the sculpture.
H: 28,5 cm
H: 11.2 inch
Provenance
Old German Collection (1911)
Literature
Roberts, Mary Nooter, Memory, New York 1996, ill. 88
Price: 3000 - 6000 €
406 Charm "mikisi mihasi"
This object is not available any more.
D. R. Congo, Luba
ivory, in the shape of a female torso, the flat trunk with curved back and lowered head utilizing the natural form of the horn, the body decorated with incised circle ornaments with central dot, drilled hole for support, min. dam., fissures through age, on base; Luba ivory pendants are portraits, or at least likenessess, and are named and honored in memory of certain revered ancestors. Sculpted from bone and horn as well as from ivory, these delicate diminutive figures were suspended from cords together with other objects, including amulets, beads, and horns. The cords were worn diagonally across the chest or were attached to the arm. Devotees anointed the figures with oil in homage of the ancestors. Sometimes such figures were attached to the tops of scepters carried by chiefs.
H: 9,5 cm
H: 3.7 inch
Provenance
Jan Lundberg, Malmö, Sweden
Eric Grate, Stockholm, Sweden
Literature
Roberts, Mary Nooter, Memory, New York 1996, p. 108 f.
Agthe, Johanna, Luba Hemba, Frankfurt am Main 1983, p. 103, ill. 86
Price: 25000 - 50000 €
407 Staff of office
This object is not available any more.
D. R. Congo, Luba
wood, shiny blackish brown patina, board-shaped flattened, both sides engraved with fine notched diamond-shaped patterns and human faces, crowned by an anthropomorphic head, min. dam., on wooden base; the numerous dignitaries within the hierarchy of the erstwhile Luba-Empire - king, regional sovereign, village chief and clan eldest - disposed of a rich supply of administrative signs. The most frequently used signs of dignity are staffs of office, like the present one. The broad sections of Luba staffs, called "dibulu", represent the administrative centers that are part of every royal capital.
H: 65,5 cm
H: 25.8 inch
Provenance
Pierre Dartevelle, Brussels, Belgium
Patric Claes, Brussels, Belgium
Literature
Nooter Roberts, Mary, Luba, Mailand 2007, pl. 37
Price: 7500 - 15000 €
408 Standing female figure
D. R. Congo, Luba
wood, shiny dark brown patina, scarification marks on the lower part of the body and the back, both hands resting on the breasts, tribe-typical facial features and coiffure, min. dam., slight traces of abrasion, on wooden base; the figural carving of the Luba can be divided in two different groups, ritual objects, like the ancestor figures and emblems of power, like figural stools or female bowl bearing figures. The lowered lids of present figure are a hint to a connection with the world of the ancestors, the world of the death.
H: 26 cm
H: 10.2 inch
Price: 1500 - 3000 €
409 Mask board
D. R. Congo, Luba
wood, matt patina, paint remains, carved with a superimposed mask face surrounded by linear incisions, pierced around the rim, min. dam., traces of insect caused damage and abrasion; these masks are worn like an amulet or preserved in the house to protect the owner.
H: 20 cm
H: 7.9 inch
Provenance
Peter Loebarth, Hameln, Germany
Wolfgang Nerlich, Munich, Germany
Price: 600 - 1200 €
410 Warrior figure with knife and bow
This object is not available any more.
D. R. Congo, Bena Lulua
wood, brown patina, leather straps, the head particularly accentuated, a tapering forceful chin, delicate linear scarifications, slightly dam., minor chips, cracks (right side of the body), acrylic base; their eventful history affected Lulua sculpture. Traits of various peoples (Luba, Kuba, Chokwe, Kete) with whom they had contact are visible in their sculpture. Warrior figures like the present one, were taken to the battle field. Aside of this figural type mainly small personal protective figures have become known from the Lulua. They serve as means for the general well-being of the community, others bring fortune and beauty, and again others protect pregnant women or encourage fertility.
H: 42 cm
H: 16.5 inch
Provenance
Bill Helmer, Golden, British Columbia, Canada (London 1965)
Literature
Felix, Marc L., 100 Peoples of Zaire and their Sculpture, Brüssel 1987, p. 88 f.
Schädler, Karl-Ferdinand, Encyclopedia of African Art and Culture, München 2009, p. 396
Sold.
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