Headrest

Object Details

Master of Mulongo

Luba artist

Label Text

The female form is abundantly represented in the visual arts of the Luba peoples, whose kingdoms flourished in Central Africa from the 17th to the 19th century. Serving as priestesses, political advisors, ambassadors and of course as wives and mothers, Luba women were important members of society. In addition to these roles, they served as spirit mediums for deceased males. In the belief that only women's bodies were strong enough for this sacred purpose, a woman was selected to be the receptacle of a deceased king's spirit and to inherit his regalia and residence. Thus women's images appear on lukasas (memory boards), staffs of office, and spears and stools as well as headrests.

Headrests are primarily utilitarian objects used as pillows on which to sleep or rest and to preserve intricate hairstyles. Decoration on headrests may be symbolic. The pair of female caryatids supporting this headrest, for example, may depict spirit mediums who live together in imitation of the vidye, twin guardian spirits of Luba kings and other royals.

This headrest and a nearly identical one at the British Museum have been attributed to the workshop of the Master of Mulongo on the Middle Lukuga River.

Description

Headrest with two female caryatid figures standing side by side on a round socle. The headrest itself curves inward at the front and back in the shape of an hourglass while its sides have chevron motifs in low relief. Each caryatid figure puts her arm around the other's waist at the back while each uses her other arm to hold up each end of the headrest.

Provenance

Suys, collected in Africa, ca. 1875

Huysmans, -- to 1980

Emile M. Deletaille, Brussels, 1980 to 1986

Exhibition History

Visionary: Viewpoints on Africa's Arts, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 4, 2017-ongoing

African Cosmos: Stellar Arts, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., June 20-December 9, 2012; Newark Museum, February 26-August 11, 2013; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, August 23-November 30, 2014; Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University, Atlanta, January 31-June 21, 2015

Crosscurrents: Art of the Southeastern Congo, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, September 30, 2011-January 8, 2012, no. 16

Inscribing Meaning: Writing and Graphic Systems in African Art, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, May 9- August 26, 2007; Fowler Museum at University of California, Los Angeles, October 14, 2007-February 17, 2008

Treasures, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 17, 2004-August 15, 2005

MEMORY: Luba Art and the Making of History, Museum for African Art, Long Island City, NY, February 2- August 11, 1996; National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., October 30, 1996-February 23, 1997

Published References

Binkley, David, Bryna Freyer, Christine Mullen Kreamer, Andrea Nicolls and Allyson Purpura. 2011. "Building a National Collection of African Art: The Life History of a Museum." Representing Africa in American Art Museums: A Century of Collecting and Display, ed. by Kathleen Bickford Berzock and Christa Clarke. Seattle: University of Washington Press, p. 272, no. 13.4.

Freyer, Bryna M. and Christine Mullen Kreamer. 2010. "The Collection of the National Museum of African Art Smithsonian Institution." Sculpture Review LIX (1), p. 21.

Kreamer, Christine Mullen. 2012. African Cosmos: Stellar Arts. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution; New York: Monacelli Press, p. 134, no. 7.25.

Kreamer, Christine, Mary Nooter Roberts, Elizabeth Harney and Allyson Purpura. 2007. Inscribing Meaning: Writing and Graphic Systems in African Art. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution; Milan: 5 Continents Editions, p. 59, no. 4.6.

Kreamer, Christine, Mary Nooter Roberts, Elizabeth Harney and Allyson Purpura. 2007. "Inscribing Meaning: Writing and Graphic Systems in African Art." African Arts 40 (3), p. 85, no. 15.

Neyt, Francois. 1994. Luba: To the Sources of the Zaire. Paris: Musee Dapper, p. 188.

National Museum of African Art. 1999. Selected Works from the Collection of the National Museum of African Art. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, p. 136, no. 97.

Patton, Sharon F. 2004. Treasures: Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution. Folio.

Pemberton III, John. 2012. Crosscurrents: Art of the Southeastern Congo, pp. 31, 77, cover, no. 16.

Petridis, Constantine. 2013. Fragments of the Invisible: The René and Odette Delenne Collection of Congo Sculpture. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art; Milan: 5 Continents Editions, p. 21, no. 16.

Roberts, Mary Nooter, and Allen F. Roberts. 1996. Memory: Luba Art and the Making of History. Munich: Prestel for New York: the Museum for African Art, pp. 100-101, no. 40.

Content Statement

As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.

Image Requests

High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/

Credit Line

Museum purchase

Mid-late 19th century

Object number

86-12-14

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Decorative Arts

Medium

Wood, oil

Dimensions

H x W x D: 17.1 x 12.4 x 9.2 cm (6 3/4 x 4 7/8 x 3 5/8 in.)

Geography

Democratic Republic of the Congo

See more items in

National Museum of African Art Collection

Exhibition

Visionary: Viewpoints on Africa's Arts

On View

NMAfA, Second Level Gallery (2193)

National Museum of African Art

Topic

Household

Status

geometric motif

male

female

Record ID

nmafa_86-12-14

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys7c71c2054-a706-44f5-8ce4-a93e24f98cb7