The Luba, with a population of more than five million, live in southeastern Congo and constitute the biggest culturally and linguistically related tribal group of the country.
Ritual calabashes such as the present one are called ‘Kabwelulu’ and are used by the ritual operatives of the Luba (‘priests’, magicians, soothsayers etc) as necessary objects during their divinations, healings and initiation rites. Especially during initiations of member in important secret societies. The present ritual calabash consists of a small, dried, round pumpkin calabash decorated with a wreath of brown feathers.
Seated atop the calabash is a female half-figure in the typical style of the Luba, secured onto the calabash via holes. This charming torso of a woman carved out of hard wood displays, on the stomach and the back, the typical for the tribe scarification marks of the Luba. Her hands rest on her bosom.
In ‘classical’ Luba style, a characteristic three-tiered ‘cascading coiffure’ crown her head - as is the custom with the Luba-Shankadi sub-tribe. Altogether, a perfect piece, with a lustrous black old usage patina. There is no noteworthy damage. Height: 29 cm (in total); first half of the 20th century. (ME)

Provenance:
Dutch Private Collection, Austrian Private Collection.

Lit.:
'Luba' by Francois Neyt, ill.: Cover image and p. 162, 163 (ritual calabash), p. 176 (Luba-Shankadi women with cascading coiffure); 'African Art in American Collections' by Robbins & Nooter, ill. 1187.