- 108
Luluwa Figure, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Estimate
5,000 - 7,000 USD
Log in to view results
bidding is closed
Description
- wood
- Height: 7 1/2 in (19.1 cm)
Provenance
Julius Carlebach, New York
Mr. and Mrs. Klaus Perls, New York (inv. no. "5229"), acquired from the above in December 1952
Private Collection, New York, acquired from the above
Mr. and Mrs. Klaus Perls, New York (inv. no. "5229"), acquired from the above in December 1952
Private Collection, New York, acquired from the above
Condition
Good condition for an object of this type and age. Vertical age crack to back of head. Fronts of both feet are cracked; front of proper right foot glued and front of proper left foot lacking. Drilled underneath both feet for attachment to base. Tip of top of coiffure with loss.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
The Luluwa people live in south-central Democratic Republic of the Congo, along both shores of the Luluwa river in the north and the Kasai river in the west. Situated between the empires of the Luba, Chokwe, and Kuba, the Luluwa received significant cultural impulses from their neighbors which they converted into a highly sophisticated culture of their own. The name Luluwa covers a number of subgroups whose languages are variants of Chiluba, the language spoken by the Luba people. According to Petridis (2009: 119-122), the Luluwa "are said to have had their origin in Katanga Province in southeastern Congo, emigrating in successive waves between the 17th and 18th centuries."
This fine, small-scale Luluwa figure is of classic style and proportions, featuring a tall, upward-pointing coiffure. Petridis (2009: 128) elucidates the meaning of such a coiffure: "In the Luluwa context the fontanels (soft spots of the cranium of an infant) signified double sight – that is clairvoyance and the ability to discern the invisible in the visible and the past and future in the present. For these reasons a sculpture's fontanels were usually marked by a pointed hairstyle [...].”