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177 - Kalundwe Peul, Western Luba, Democratic Republic of the Cong…
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Estimate €800 - €1,000
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Description
Kalundwe Peul, Western Luba, Democratic Republic of the Congo Magnificent royal wooden bowl H. 13 cm – W. 15 cm (sold without the base) Royal bowls shaped like a human head, with twin receptacles at the base, are among the rarest of Luba or Luba-related ceremonial objects. Very few objects of this type exist, and each is distinguished by its aesthetic craftsmanship. Most of these bowls originate from the Kanyok and related groups in the central-western part of Luba country. This type of Luba cup was the subject of a study by Albert Maesen, former director of the Department of Ethnography at the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren, who led a research and collection mission in southern Belgian Congo in the 1950s. Maesen reports that, among the Kanyok, the vessels used for royal drinks were the only objects he was not permitted to see in the place where the sovereign’s emblems—notably the thrones and sceptres—were kept. He was, however, able to observe the rectangular boxes in which the cups were kept, but was informed that these were used only during the sovereign’s investiture and on certain sacred occasions (A. Maesen, personal communication, 1987). Maesen discovered that the royal cups, known as musenge, were also used during ceremonies honouring the spirits of paternal ancestors, during which the officiant made an offering of cooked cassava and the sovereign entered into communion with his ancestors.
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About the sale AFRICAN ART – TERRACOTTA FROM THE INDUS VALLEY – PRE-COLUMBIAN ART – OCEANIAN ART – HOPI CULTURE
Auction location
Auction time 06/24/2026 at 1:30 PM
Ref. : 3358 - 198
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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