Central Africa
Stool,
19th centuryThe
Buli MasterLuba
peoples; Democratic Republic of Congo
Wood, metal studs
In the region of the Democratic Republic of Congo it
showed several beliefs about rulers that came from Africa. The seat of the rulers
were a crucial sign of control and command. This example from The Metropolitan Museum of
Art shows that the Luba monarchs are meant to have a high-status practice of
seating. It began with woven mats then
moved on to animal pelts, thrones that were made from clay, and finally wooden
thrones. The image below shows a great
example of a wooden throne. The purpose of the stool was not to act as a seat,
but as a holder for the superiors’ soul. The stools were symbols that showed the
power and authority of a chief, they were put in a secret place to reduce the
danger of someone stealing it.
The
image below of the seat of the royal Luba stool is maintained by a female who has
it on her head keeping it steady with her lengthened fingers. The body of the female is pearl-shaped and
the detailing has decorative markings on her stomach, during the era it meant
to improve a woman’s appearance. The
society was male-controlled but in spite of it the Luba people followed heritage through a female
blood line. That is why the image is of a woman balancing a stool, they are normally
female lineages. The sculpture was intended to worship the royals, chiefs and dictators
who founded the hierarchy of headship among the empire.
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