This is the rating and price for Luba Bowstand, 1985.0

Description : Luba Bowstand Democratic Republic of the Congo Carved wooden bowstands in the form of a standing female figure surmounted by a trident-shaped fork are among the most strikingly idiosyncratic forms of Luba art. The bowstands of the Luba are rare and highly sought after by collectors. They were placed behind a Luba king’s throne and used to hold his bow. Bowstands therefore chiefly symbolize authority and are associated with elaborate rituals and restrictions. They are never displayed in public and are guarded by a female dignitary who provides prayers and sacrifices. The female figure on this bowstand holds her hands to her chest, a gesture that refers both to the Luba idea that women guard the secrets of royalty within their breasts and to that of devotion to the spirit world. Among the many artistic expressions of the Luba, this work is certainly considered to be special and extraordinary. The bow and arrow support, finely engraved in the upper part, is embellished by a centrally located feminine figure with arms resting on the belly, highlighting the numerous scarifications that surround and emphasize the prominent navel. Short legs support an elongated bust. The face is plain, and numerous parallel streaks adorn the hairstyle. On top of the figure there is a composition of three disks engraved with lines that describe geometric motifs. This is a very important symbol of authority. The container was used by a chief to put his arrows in it. A fine Luba bowstand rising from a cylindrical shaft with a stylized female figure with short legs holding her hands on the belly, scarifications on the body. Compare: “Sets, Series and Ensembles in African Art” by George Nelson Preston, 1985, p. 78. “The Power of Form: African Art from the Horstmann Collection” by Bassani, Bockemühl, McNaughton, 2002, p. 163 H: 81 cm (approx. 2’ 8”) Estimated age: End of the 19th century or early 20th century Provenance: Old collection of the Xaverian missionary Father Luigi Giavazzi, who lived in Burundi and the Congo (Kivu Region) before 1967
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