Divination Calabash - Luba - Drc - Early 20th Century - Primitive / Tribal / African Art

Divination calabash finely carved in the form of a female bust. The belly is decorated with raised scarifications distributed in three registers. The hands are placed on the breasts in a symbolic gesture. The face, with its peaceful features, has half-closed eyes made of coffee beans. A circular outgrowth hollowed out at the top was used to hold ritual substances. The hairstyle is carved with a backward-facing bun, decorated with cruciform motifs, typical of the Luba aesthetic. Hardwood, old brown and honey-toned patina, signs of use. Luba, DRC, early 20th century Dimensions: 18 x 7 cm – With base: 20 cm Provenance: former collection in northern France Sold with a certificate of authenticity from the expert Serge Reynes, guaranteeing its origin and period. Used in divination rituals, this calabash, known as Kabwelulu, was used by Luba diviners (bilumbu) or fetish priests. The hollowed-out part at the top received magical substances intended to activate communication with spirits. These objects, sometimes associated with the secret society Mbudye, also embodied nature spirits or ancestral figures serving as mediators between the invisible world and the living. Their function was part of a complex set of therapeutic, political and spiritual knowledge passed down from generation to generation. Bibliography: • François Neyt, Luba. Aux sources du Zaïre, Musée Dapper, 1993. • Mary Nooter Roberts & Allen F. Roberts, Luba. Visions of Africa, 5 Continents Editions, 2006. * Shipping costs on estimate.