Kuba Lele carved bowl, DRC - Lot 165

Kuba Lele carved bowl, DRC One of the prestige objects of the Kuba groups, this cephalomorphic bowl is decorated with geometric motifs and has a handle. Bright patina. Damaged upper contours Desiccation crack 24 x 12 cm The Kuba are renowned for the refinement of prestige objects created for members of the highest ranks of their society. Several Kuba groups produced anthropomorphic objects with refined motifs, including cups, drinking horns and beakers. The Lele are settled in the west of the Kuba kingdom, at the confluence of the Kasai and Bashilele rivers. Intercultural exchanges between the Bushoong of Kuba territory and the Lele have made the attribution of certain objects tricky, as both groups use the same iconography, composed of faces with elaborate hairstyles and geometric decorative motifs.