47 - Bust of an ancestor, arms detached from the body and hands r…
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Estimate €4,000 - €7,000

Description

Bust of an ancestor, arms detached from the body and hands resting on the edge of the stomach Wood, russet and brown patina, a few small chips, broken chin stuck, crack, damaged navel. Luba, Democratic Republic of Congo. H_35 cm L_10 cm Provenance : - Former Kamer collection, Paris Publication : - De l'art d'Afrique à l'art moderne, aux sources de la création, texts by Francine Ndiaye, Ville de Sisteron, Éditions Sépia, p. 68 Luba statuary, produced in the Great Lakes region of the Congo, is one of the most accomplished plastic expressions of the Congolese basin. These ancestral figures were vessels for the spirits of the deceased, guardians of lineage memory and vectors of the chiefs' sacred authority. The attention paid to the rendering of the face - almond-shaped eyes, accentuated arch of the eyebrows, fleshy nose - and to the plaited hairstyle testifies to an acute concern for individual identity and social rank. The characteristic posture of the hands on the belly, associated with the navel, refers to the transmission of life and the continuity between the living and the ancestors. The care taken with the circular base engraved with incised lines confirms the status of this piece as a prestige object, probably kept in a special hut and honoured for the virtues it bestowed on the community. - Expert : Serge REYNES

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About the sale Antonio Segui Collection: last memories

Auction location

Auction time 06/18/2026 at 2:00 PM

Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House

47 - Bust of an ancestor, arms detached from the body and hands r… See original version (French)

47 - Bust of an ancestor, arms detached from the body and hands r…
See original version (French)