Bena Lulua statue, Congo. - Lot 154

Bena Lulua statue, Congo. Perfectly respecting the canons of the ethnic group, this Lulua-type work will find its place in a collection of tribal art. The various types of Luluwa, Lulua or Béna Lulua statues, featuring multiple scarifications, glorify local chiefs, maternity, fertility and the female figure. This sculptural art has been influenced by neighboring ethnic groups (Chokwe, Luba, Kuba, etc.). The position of the figure's hand directs the eye to the abdomen, embellished with traditional motifs in relief, the center of the body and "the object of all solicitude" ( La puissance du sacré , M. Faïk-Nzuji ) Lozenges, protruding erogenous and symbolic scarifications, circles and rectangles in a checkerboard pattern, embellish strategic parts of her anatomy. This highly detailed statuette has a lustrous patina, with reliefs lightened by use, revealing the subtle veining of the wood. The top of the headdress is protruding with high braids. The Lulua, or Béna Lulua, people from West Africa settled in the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their caste-based social structure is similar to that of the Luba. They produced few masks, but mainly statues of ancestors representing the ideal warrior, mulalenga wa nkashaama, as well as the chief of the Leopard society and mbulenga statuettes linked to nature spirits. (Black African tribal art. JB Bacquart) 36 x 9 cm