Luba Headrest

Headrest
Wood, blackish paint/polish
Size in cm: 21 x 21 x 8
Weight: 400g

Used by the members of the Luba elite, artefacts like these elevated the head of its resting owner. Its function may appear not important at all but it served an important purpose by protecting the sleeper's elaborate coiffure. Such pieces of art did require some fifty hours to create.The Luba peoples are settled in the land of what is today Democratic Republic of Congo. As early as the seventeenth century, the Luba headed an extensive, centrally organized state structured on the principles of divine monarchy.

Face Mask

Face Mask
Gabon
Wood, painted white and brown
Size in cm: 32 x 20 x 18
Weight: 600g

This mask is a variant of the "white masks of Ogowe", which are primarely used throughout central and western Gabon. Nowadays such masks are primarily inteded for entertainment on festive occasions and rarely fulfill their ritual functions. Traditionally these ritual masks have been used officiating at funerals. The dance embodied the spirits of male and female ancestors. The diamond/square shaped pattern on the forehead 'according to research' present a sexual connotation. The woven hairband or the hairline over the rounded face is a typical style for woman in this region, from the beginning of the twentieth century.