Headrest "musamo" - Luba - DR Congo

07
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03
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Current bid
€ 20
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Surya Rutten
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Selected by Surya Rutten

Has over 25 years' experience in Asian art and owned an art gallery.

Estimate  € 750 - € 850
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€20

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Appui-tête "musamo", a Luba wood sculpture from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, dating to the early 20th century, provenance Collection privée, authentic/original, in good condition.

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Description from the seller

Headrest “musamo” Luba
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Max height: 13.5 cm
Period: early 20th century (1900–1920)
Materials: wood (Chlorophora excelsa)
Provenance: tribal art dealer Jos Humblet - Belgium

As Mary Nooter Roberts notes, “wooden headrests were commonly used by the Luba of previous generations to protect their elegant hairstyles during sleep. Headrests were objects of extreme intimacy and carried great personal value for their owners, who regarded them as sacred and were sometimes buried with them. (Body Politics: The Female Image in Luba Art and Alison Saar’s Sculpture, UCLA Fowler Museum of Art, Los Angeles, 2000, p. 35, fig. 35)

Photos 8 and 9: Luba chief with his headrest and cascading hairstyle.
One can better understand why they were needed when one knows that Shankadi hairstyles required about 50 hours of work to create.

Careful, insured delivery with tracking number.

Headrest “musamo” Luba
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Max height: 13.5 cm
Period: early 20th century (1900–1920)
Materials: wood (Chlorophora excelsa)
Provenance: tribal art dealer Jos Humblet - Belgium

As Mary Nooter Roberts notes, “wooden headrests were commonly used by the Luba of previous generations to protect their elegant hairstyles during sleep. Headrests were objects of extreme intimacy and carried great personal value for their owners, who regarded them as sacred and were sometimes buried with them. (Body Politics: The Female Image in Luba Art and Alison Saar’s Sculpture, UCLA Fowler Museum of Art, Los Angeles, 2000, p. 35, fig. 35)

Photos 8 and 9: Luba chief with his headrest and cascading hairstyle.
One can better understand why they were needed when one knows that Shankadi hairstyles required about 50 hours of work to create.

Careful, insured delivery with tracking number.

Details

Ethnic group/ culture
Luba
Country of Origin
DR Congo
Period
Early 20th century
Sold with stand
No
Condition
Good condition
Title of artwork
Headrest "musamo"
Provenance
Private collection
Authenticity
Original/official
BelgiumVerified
1
Object sold
Private

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