Chief's stool supported by the kneeling figure of a woman. Wood carving made in the style of the Master of Buli, Kinshasa province of Congo,
PROVENANCE: Gathan Schoonbroodt collection , Verviers - Belgium.
CONDITION: Base missing, one crack in the arm near the shoulder has been filled. Brown-red wood with remains of Tokula powder.
Estimated age: mid XXth.
H= 38 cm or 42cm on the custom made wood stand.
A few of those rare sculptures appeared on the market, like eg. in the collections of Werner Forman, or in the British Museum (n° inv. Af1905,0613.1) one collected before 1905. But the scholar most intrigued by the Master of Buli was Frans Olbrechts.
You can read a study about the Master of Buli ( in French) here:
https://journals.openedition.org/aaa/971
Illustration (1) Cover of a book by Frans Olbrechts, “Plastiek van Kongo”, 1946
(2) Portrait of Frans Olbrechts by Jean Van Noten (1903–1982), (charcoal on paper, 80 x 130 cm) Ethnographic Museum, Antwerp
BW. ill3. Siège à caryatide dans le style du maître de Buli (Olbrechts 1946 : pl. XXIII) Légende d’origine : « Langgezichtstijl van Buli, Ba-Luba ». Ce siège fait partie des collections du British Museum (n° inv. Af1905,0613.1) et a été collecté avant 1905.
- Object
- Stool
- Indigenous object name
- Master of Buli
- Ethnic group/ culture
- Luba
- Region/ country
- Congo DRC
- Material
- Wood
- Period
- 1st half 20th century
- Condition
- Fair
- Sold with stand
- Yes
- Dimensions
- 38×29×29 cm