Luba Female Figure Democratic Republic of the Congo 12 1/2 in Provenance Ex. Emile Deletaille, Brussels Ex. Martin Krohn, Eckernförde, acquired from the above in 1972 Ex. Sotheby’s Paris, December 5, 2007, lot 70, consigned by above Ex. PROPERTY OF A NEW YORK CHARITABLE FOUNDATION Ex. Private Maryland Collection Ex. Cassera Gallery, NYC/Vancouver, BC
PUBLISHED Karl-Ferdinand Schädler, African Art in Private German Collections, Munich, 1973, p. 357, cat. 515
These cult statues are used by ritual specialists Luba for divination, healing, initiation and settlement of disputes. Luba divide into two types: mihake mikisi - statuettes containing magical ingredients placed in small horns - and mihasi mikisi - representation of the dead or spirits (Nooter-Roberts in Tervuren, 1995: 365) - type to which connects this statuette. female figure
