GOSEE ART - LUBA-KASAI (KALUNDWE) by LUCAS RATTON Art Tribal

Ethnic group: LUBA-KASAI (KALUNDWE), Country: Congo, Period: Early 20th century, Material: Wood, Height: 15.4 in. (39 cm.), Provenance: Formerly in Galerie Ratton-Hourcé, Paris, Formerly in Larock-Granoff collection, France. Description: The Kalundwe is a small tribe of around thirty thousand people living in the south of Congo (ex. Zaire). This little kingdom had a woman as a first chief. Called Tshimbale ban, this woman was from the Songye tribe, their neighbours. The Songye influenced the Kalundwe, as well as the Luba and the Tschokwe, living more south. The Kalundwe borrowed to the Luba their political and social organization. When Kongolo became the chief of the kingdom, the objects of the chief’s kingdom started to take a higher status and a special attention was brought to the sculptures representing the chief or the princes. There is only a few kalundwe sculptures of this size.