Mid 20th Century Lwalwa Mother Figure Holding Baby Africa With Provenance

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A finely carved Lwalwa maternity figure holding a baby from Democratic Republic of Congo in Central Africa circa 20th century. … Read more A finely carved Lwalwa maternity figure holding a baby from Democratic Republic of Congo in Central Africa circa 20th century. The statue was acquired in 2006 from the collection of Jean-Pierre Hallet Collection of African Art.
The figure, with her robust body and a strong stand, wears a classic Lwalwa mask on her face. The baby in her arm, interestingly, was depicted in a similar way. The carving was well defined and shows impressive workmanship. The surface has a nice, stained patina and shows scattered rubbing and a couple of crack lines. It appears that the statue was made in the mid to late 20th century. The statue will be sold with the catalog (see below).
The Lwalwa, related to the Lulua, live in DR. Congo on the frontier of Angola. They formed close relationships with the Salampasu and Mbagani, but still remained an independent group. Each Lwalwa village is headed by a male or female chief, known as Dina Dia Bukalenga, whose power is held in check by the powerful society, Bangongo. Like the Lulua, the men hunt and the women farm on their fertile land. Lwalwa children are predominantly raised by the father and upon his death, are considered to be aligned with his family. Sculpting is a highly prestigious profession and is usually a trade that was hereditary, carvers were often paid very well for their art and were able to achieve high status in the community because of this, often becoming the village chief, who would reside in the center of the village. Lwalwa masks are worn during initiation dances, funerals and to bring good fortune to the tribe.
Proveance: Illustrated in the catalog "African Art Properties from the Jean-Pierre Hallet Collection" page127, illustration 873.
Reference: Tribal art of Africa - Jaques-baptiste Baciquart.
Jean-Pierre Hallet (1927 – 1 January 2004) was a Belgian (born in DR Congo) ethnologist, naturalist, and humanitarian known best for his extensive work with the Efé (Bambuti) pygmies of the Ituri Rainforest. Hallet and his family owned one of the largest authentic Central African art shops in the United States—at the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California, near Los Angeles—until the late 1990s. The collection of art that he collected eventually became a large portion of the UCLA African Art premier exhibit in 1963–1965, when Hallet donated much of it to the university. This collection is now part of the UCLA Fowler Museum. See less