neck support - Luba - DR Congo

Neck rests (mwadi or kashekesheke) of the Luba: royal and symbolic support of power

Among the Luba in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, neck rests are much more than utilitarian objects: they embody a political and spiritual dimension.
Carved from hardwood, often decorated with female figures or geometric motifs, these neck rests served the dignitaries during audiences or ceremonies and underscored their sacred status.
The female figure, common in their iconography, evokes the queen mother (Mwadi), the foundation of royal legitimacy in Luba cosmology.
She symbolizes the transmission of wisdom and dynastic continuity.
These neck rests, used as signs of power, remind us that authority rests on a balance between masculine strength and feminine principles.
These objects, both functional and symbolic, reveal a holistic view of leadership, in which art serves as a medium between worldly power and cosmic order.

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