Attribution Incomplete Notice
Collections and items in our institution have incomplete, inaccurate, and/or missing attribution. We are using this notice to clearly identify this material so that it can be updated, or corrected by communities of origin. Our institution is committed to collaboration and partnerships to address this problem of incorrect or missing attribution.
Open to Collaborate Notice
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Artwork Details
H: 17 in.
Accession NumberGift of Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Eiteljorg
Copyright...(Iris Silverman [-1980], Los Angeles, California) sold on 20 October 1977 to Harrison Eiteljorg [1903-1997] of Indianapolis, Indiana; donated to the Indianapolis Museum of Art in 1989.
Women play a central role in many Luba beliefs and hold positions of great honor. Luba and Luba-related stools, which serve as thrones, are often supported by a female figure. Some stools depict the wives, sisters and mothers of chiefs, while others are a more general representation of women as the power behind the throne and an essential link between ancestors and the living.
Among the Luba, stools are an important symbol of kingship, brought out only on rare occasions. Through the seat, the supporting figure and the base of a stool, a leader and his people are joined with the ancestors and other members of the spirit world. Many nearby groups are influenced by Luba kingship and copy their royal art forms.
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Artworks that appear in the image file(s) above may be in copyright or have other legal and/or cultural restrictions to their use. For clarity, Newfields does not claim copyright to the image files created by Newfields of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Newfields makes every effort to ascertain the copyright status of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Please refer to the RightsStatements.org statement above for information about the current copyright status of the artwork. Additionally, some artworks may include Local Context’s Notices or Labels that attribute cultural authority of the artwork’s heritage and data.
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