Lulua (Bena Lulua, Bena Moyo, Luluwa, Shilange), Democratic Republic of the Congo

Ceremonial male figure. The Lulua inhabit a vast region in the province of West Kasai in the south central DRC. They number 300,000 and live in small regional chiefdoms and in times of crisis elect a common leader. The role of the village chief is to insure juridical, political and social cohesion. They devote themselves to the hunt. The Lulua were never politically united and therefore there were a large number of relatively autonomous chiefs, which meant that many local dignitaries had works of art dedicated to them. Lulua art is very personal and has little relation to neighboring styles. As E. Leuzinger said: “They have developed a most impressive and distinctive style, combining liking for decoration with lyrical elegance.” The subjects are men, women, and mother-and-child-groups. The body is covered with elaborate scarification marks. The figure bears a status message.

Material:  wood

Size:   H. 26½”, W. 6½”, D. 7½”