Licensing Resources
female figure from staff
1870-1900
probably
Luba people
1989.1198
On display in H209
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Artwork Details
probably
Luba people16-1/4 x 2 x 2-1/2 in.
Accession NumberGift of Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Eiteljorg
Copyright(Sibi) sold on 16 November 1976 to Harrison [1903-1997] and Edith Eiteljorg [1912-2003]; given to the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1989.
Luba staffs are important indicators of authority for a family head or village ruler. A staff is presented to a chief at his initiation or inherited from the previous ruler. This female figure has broken off a full staff, which would have stood about four feet high. The woman holding her breasts symbolizes an ancestor as the source of life and nourishment. The shaved forehead, prestigious hairstyle and torso scarifications indicate an important woman.
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