Luba
Figurative Pendant
Luba, 1866-1932
Scroll
Luba
Figurative Pendant
Luba, 1866-1932
Physical Qualities
Ivory, 4 in. (10.2 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Alan Wurtzburger
Object Number
1954.145.94
Many Luba icons of power and status prominently feature female figures holding their breasts, a gesture that references the role of women as the guardian of royal secrets. Women are thought to be the source of political authority in the Luba Kingdom, which makes them a favored subject of Luba court artists. Said Nsenga Ubandilwa, a descendant of a Luba king, in a 1988 interview: "The chief will put a female figure on the staff to prove that his royal kingdom comes from this woman. It is like a sign or a memory of the woman who brought royalty to us."
On View at the BMA
