Tribal Art

Sculpted with precision in dense wood, this prestigious stick depicting the female ancestor would intervene on human fertility, the fertility of the land, and successful hunts. The face refers to a type of mask linked to the Mukanda Mukishi wa Mwna pwo initiation ceremonies wearing the kambu ja tota ("Chokwe and Their Bantu Neighbors" Rodrigues de Areia.) Reddish patina. Abrasions.
Of Lunda origin, the Lwena, Luena, emigrated from Angola to Zaire in the 19th century, repelled by the Chokwe. When some became slave traders, others, the Lovale, found refuge in Zambia. Their society is matrilineal, exogamous and polygamous. The Lwena became known for their sculptures embodying figures of deceased ancestors and chiefs, and their masks linked to the initiation rites of the mukanda . Their sculpture was largely influenced by that of the Chokwe.