Lot: 380
89th Tribal Art AuctionAxe handle
D. R. Congo, Kuba
Provenance | Size | Starting price / estimated price |
---|---|---|
German Private Collection | H: 13.2 inch | This object is not available anymore. |
wood, copper wire, rest.
Figurative axes of the Luba were worn over the shoulder as signs of status.
Above all they play a central role in the initiation rites of "mbudye", an association responsible for inducting persons into royal office.These axes provide metaphors for "breaking a path" or "clearing a field for cultivation" useful in political circumstances.
Roberts, Mary Nooter, Memory, New York 1996, p. 77, ill. 25