Luba Hemba Female Miniature Figure Congo 6inch Rohner Collection

A small Luba\Hemba female figure formerly attached to a calabash. This figure is made of wood and its base is wrapped in a braided cord.

The Luba female figure is crafted as a veneration of feminine beauty and motherhood. Crafted from wood, the Luba female figures are distinct with their hand-carved and distinct head-pieces. The history of the Luba people can be traced back 500 years as they have dominated part of the Congo during that time. Luba society is still a large culture, and their influence remains significant. Luba and their closely related neighbors the Hemba, are some of the most important crafters and carvers in Central Africa.

Provenance: John R. Rohner Collection
Rohner, a museum curator for decades, aimed his practiced eye for authenticity to African art beginning in the early 1908s. His passion for this art only grew through the decades he built his collection––always with an aim for a broad and representative array of pieces. The collection appears in his book, Art Treasures from African Runners (2000, University Press of Colorado). 

Item #260 on pg. 147

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