Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Luba-style carver / 1800s
Bow Stand
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Bow Stand as sculpture (Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Luba-style carver · 1800s).
The shape of this wooden bow stand is based on a more practical version in metal used by hunters.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this sculpture as Wood and plant fiber.
The museum's collection notes: A powerful symbol of the Luba king, bow stands were ceremonial objects that resided within the king’s private vicinity in the palace and were never displayed in public. Typically, bow stands depict a female figure, but the sculptor has carved a figure with ambiguously gendered human traits. This is a symbolic depiction that may allude to how divine rulers ( mulopwe ) were believed to have both “male” and “female” character traits, which allowed this sculpture to act as a vessel for spirits of any gender.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtBow StandOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.