Luba Female Figure

Luba people, early to mid-20th century, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Magnificent and graceful wooden female figure standing upright with softly flexed knees and hips, carved with the refined elegance characteristic of Luba artistry. The composition displays a beautifully balanced body with pointed flanking breasts, long tubular arms, and hands gently resting upon a rounded abdomen with a pronounced navel—an emblem of lineage, fertility, and continuity. Fluid lines and smoothly rounded surfaces create a rhythmic harmony throughout the form, while the most handled areas exhibit a rich, glossy patina from age and ritual use.

The elongated neck supports a finely carved head featuring the classic “long-face style” associated with the Buli region—distinguished by elegant, angular features. The face presents large almond-shaped eyes, a short flattened nose, and an oval raised mouth with full lips above a pointed chin. The coiffure is neatly rendered, enhancing the refined serenity of the figure.

The Luba are among Central Africa’s most celebrated sculptural traditions, renowned for their anthropomorphic figures, caryatid stools, ceremonial axes, and headrests. Female imagery dominates Luba art, reflecting women’s elevated societal status as life-givers, priestesses, and custodians of sacred knowledge. In Luba belief, only a woman’s body was considered strong enough to embody the spirit of a deceased king—an idea famously summarized by Mary Nooter Roberts and Allen F. Roberts: “Only a woman’s body is strong enough to contain a powerful spirit like a king’s.” This exquisite figure stands firmly within that profound artistic and spiritual lineage.

Good condition. Wear consistent with age and use. Minor cracks. Encrusted surface patina. Beautiful dark brown color. Size approx. 25,5cm x 4,7cm x 5,8cm (excluding the modern base).

Provenance: From the estate of a Swedish painter and pop artist Sven Inge Höglund (1935-2008). Foundation for Innovative Art.

References and further reading:

Luba: Visions of Africa, Mary Roberts & Allen F. Roberts, Publisher: 5 Continents Editions Srl, 2007.

Memory: Luba Art and the Making of History, Mary Nooter Roberts & Allen F. Roberts, Publisher: Center for African Art, 1996.

Luba, Mutombo Nkulu-N'Sengha, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Dec. 2018. (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Luba-people)

History of Art in Africa: Second Edition, Monica Blackmun Visona, Robin Poynor and Herbert M. Cole, Publisher: Prentice Hall, 2007.