{"product_id":"luba-kalundwe-divination-pestle-congo-rohner-collection-157307","title":"Luba-Kalundwe Divination Pestle Congo Rohner Collection","description":"\u003cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv spellcheck=\"false\" class=\"input-box\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cell-input editable\" role=\"combobox\" dir=\"ltr\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLuba \/ Luba-Kalundwe Divination Pestle, Luboko, Democratic Republic of the Congo\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003eA striking traditional Luba or Luba-Kalundwe divination pestle, known as a \u003cem\u003eluboko\u003c\/em\u003e, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Beautifully carved in the form of a stylized human head, this finely expressive object features the serene, elongated facial proportions characteristic of Luba sculpture, with downcast eyes, a composed expression, and delicately rendered scarification or facial markings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003eAnthropomorphic and cephalomorphic pestles such as this were associated with Luba divination and ritual practice. Diviners, known as \u003cem\u003ebilumbu\u003c\/em\u003e, used specialized pestles to prepare sacred white chalk or kaolin (\u003cem\u003empemba\u003c\/em\u003e), an important ritual substance associated with spiritual communication and ancestral presence. The carved human head transforms an otherwise utilitarian implement into an object of considerable symbolic and spiritual significance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003eThe restrained features and elegant carving are particularly characteristic of the broader Luba artistic tradition, in which the human face and body could serve as a vessel for ancestral and spiritual concepts. The precise attribution between Luba and Luba-Kalundwe can be difficult to determine without provenance, but the form and stylistic vocabulary are consistent with this Central African tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe surface displays a wonderful aged patina and evidence of traditional handling, adding to its presence as an authentic ethnographic object. A compelling piece for collectors of African art, ritual objects, and traditional Luba sculpture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance: John R. Rohner Collection\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eRohner, a museum curator for decades, aimed his practiced eye for authenticity to African art beginning in the early 1980s. 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, \u003ci\u003eArt Treasures from African Runners\u003c\/i\u003e (2000, University Press of Colorado). \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_MetafieldRow_17rwl_1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_MetafieldField_18aa6_4\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_RowWrapper_1esmo_6\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_FormFieldLabel_1esmo_32\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"Polaris-Text--root Polaris-Text--bodyMd\"\u003eDepth (in): \u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e10.25\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eWidth (in): \u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e2.0\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eHeight (in): \u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e2.0\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"Polaris-Text--root Polaris-Text--bodyMd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eLarge crack down one side.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cell-input editable\" role=\"combobox\" dir=\"ltr\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e157307\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"sku 157000","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52175306883367,"sku":"157307","price":49.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0826\/1015\/9911\/files\/IMG_1884_e517e0f1-2dca-45ae-9789-76eb7ef31e6f.jpg?v=1790346405","url":"https:\/\/africadirect.com\/products\/luba-kalundwe-divination-pestle-congo-rohner-collection-157307","provider":"Africa Direct","version":"1.0","type":"link"}