Luba-Kalundwe Divination Pestle Congo Rohner Collection

Luba / Luba-Kalundwe Divination Pestle, Luboko, Democratic Republic of the Congo A striking traditional Luba or Luba-Kalundwe divination pestle, known as a luboko, 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. Anthropomorphic and cephalomorphic pestles such as this were associated with Luba divination and ritual practice. Diviners, known as bilumbu, used specialized pestles to prepare sacred white chalk or kaolin (mpemba), 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. The 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. The 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. Provenance: John R. Rohner Collection Rohner, 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, Art Treasures from African Runners (2000, University Press of Colorado). Depth (in): 10.25 Width (in): 2.0 Height (in): 2.0 Large crack down one side. 157307