African Arts Gallery

Luba Seat (N° 18865)

Sacredness of the carved seats, regalia of prestige, in the primitive African art.
This seat whose back is made up of a maternity figure is named lupona ,or kioni ,kipona , kiona , depending on the source. It symbolizes the meeting point of the sovereign, his people, and the protecting spirits and ancestors, where past and present spiritually mingle. It once formed the foundation on which the king was enthroned. The seats were laid out on leopard skins when the new chief was inaugurated. It was only after he sat down that his address took on a royal and divine character. Other than in exceptional circumstances, the seats were not used and were stored in secret locations.
Dark brown patina. Erosions and slight lacks.
The cradle of the Luba (Baluba in chiluba) is Katanga, more precisely the region of the Lubu river. They were born from a secession of the Songhoy ethnic group. In the 16th century they created a state, organized in decentralized chiefdoms, which extended from the Kasai River to Lake Tanganyika. The chiefdoms cover a small territory without any real border that includes at most three villages. Watch the video

390.00 € 
Possibility of payment in2x (2x 195.0 €)

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Origin	ex-collection allemande
Ethny	Luba
Country	rdc ex zaire
Material(s)	wood
Height	40
Depth	24
Width	54
Weight	4.15 Kg
Estimated dating	mid-xx°

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