Splendid Maternity Figure - Hardwood of the Chlorophora excelsa tree - Kuba / Kete - D.R.C.

Splendid Maternity Figure – Kuba / Kete – D. R. C. In good condition with a smashing patina from long use. It dates to the 1930’s. Provenance: Ex – collection of the Right Reverend Fathers of the Congregation of the Josephites, Melle near Ghent, Belgium. Obtained from them by H. Westerdijk in 1978. This Kuba- Kete figure is in fact a version of the Lulua sculptures of the famous Bangwa Bwa Chibola fertility cult. Women having trouble in getting pregnant and bringing forth healthy children were advised to join a society of women plagued by the same problem. This cult was only practiced among some Kuba –speaking groups that were direct neighbours of the Lulua in the western Kasaye region. Such figures are rare and I know of only a few similar pieces. The message here is clear: join the cult, follow its instructions and the result will not be just one child but may even be twins. Mark the splendid patina on hardwood and the fine details in the carving of mother and children. A beauty! Literature: For the Lulua see: C. Petridis, Luluwa, Tielt, 2018. For the Kuba see David A. Birkley and Patricia Darish: Kuba, Milano, 2009. Dimensions: 36 x 16 x 10 cm. People/ Region: The Kete, Kuba and Lulua live together were The Kasaye and Luluwa Rivers make a fork. Southeastern D. R. C. Material: Hardwood of the Chlorophora excelsa tree. Weight: 1. 14 kg. Sold with handwritten declaration of authenticity by Dr. P. Westerdijk, museum ethnologist and cultural anthropologist specialized, for over 50 years now, in the study of the material cultures in African nations that live south of the Sahara.