Divination Calabash – Luba – Democratic Republic Of Congo – First Half Of The 20th Century

Divination gourd finely carved with a female bust on the top. Seated, her hands with slender fingers delicately placed on her thighs, she presents a rounded belly, a youthful chest, and a face displaying a beautiful, alert expression. The gaze is accentuated by circular cavities, the eyebrow arches marked in slight relief. The hairstyle, arranged towards the back, is composed of several braids with finely engraved furrows. Wood, feathers, plant fibers, sycamore, old shiny brown patina of use. Luba, Democratic Republic of Congo, first half of the 20th century Dimensions: 22.5 x 13 cm Provenance: old collection from northern France Sold with certificate of authenticity from the expert Serge Reynes, guarantee of origin and period. * Shipping costs on estimate These ritual calabashes, called mboko, were used by Luba diviners and witch doctors in divination rituals. The container generally contained kaolin or other magical substances intended to promote communication with invisible forces. The female figure carved on the upper part often embodies the first diviner or the wife of the diviner, symbolizing the transmission of spiritual knowledge and ancestral memory. Through its posture, its refinement and the quality of its execution, this work bears witness to the importance of women in Luba cosmology, where they are guardians of knowledge and mediators of the sacred.