Stool, Luba; D.R.C. Congo
Wood; H. 16"
This magnificent caryatid stool would
have been part of the royal regalia of a Luba chief,
along with a number of other objects that served
as tangible proof of his status and right to rule.
The importance of such objects is evidenced by the
lustrous black surface and exceptional state of
preservation. Other examples from the same workshop
exist; the example in the Stanley Collection (University
of Iowa Museum of Art) helps to establish a date
of manufacture as it was formerly the property of
Sir Cecil Rhodes and was collected at the end of
the nineteenth century. According to F. Neyt, these
stools were created by the "Kayumba and Museka
workshops" (Neyt, 1993. 81). Differing opinions
exist to explain the iconography of these caryatid
stools. Is it a domestic servant holding up the
chief, the chief's wife, or a mythical founder in
the chief's lineage? Though the Luba are patrilineal,
most emblems of royalty depict female images. In
any case, the carver's complete mastery of this
stool, in both his canon of style and his medium
of manufacture, are evident in the complex juxtaposition
of curves, cylinders, and arcing lines, boldly rendered
in harmonious balance and creating a sculpture that
works from every viewpoint.
