ClassificationsAfrican Art

Caryatid Stool

Place CreatedDemocratic Republic of the Congo, Africa

CultureLuba - Hemba

Datelate 19th-early 20th Century

MediumWood

Credit LineEx coll. William S. Arnett

Dimensions18 1/8 x 10 1/2 x 11 11/16 in. (46.1 x 26.7 x 29.7 cm)

Object number1994.004.018

Label TextAs former subjects of the Luba empire, the Hemba share similarities in carving forms and styles of chiefly caryatid stools such as this one. A common feature of both Luba-Hemba stools and headrests is a wooden platform supported by human figures. This piece is more naturalistic than the best-known stool style of the area, carved by the Master of Buli with a characteristic long face and exaggerated features. Here the face, torso, and legs are carved in descending proportions while the arms are very prominent and function as supports. Also unusual here is the depiction of both a male and female figure rather than the more common female pair. It is possible that these figures were carved to represent twins, which, like the king or queen who used the stool, embody a special connection to the ancestors. The figures also symbolize the historical tradition of kings and queens either being carried by or sitting on the backs of men and women in their service.
Exhibition HistoryMCCM Permanent Collection Installation, Rotation 1, December 15, 1995 - February 1997
MCCM Permanent Collection Installation, Rotation 2, February 1997 - July 1998
MCCM Permanent Collection Installation, November 19, 2007 - March 11, 2013
Published ReferencesMichael C. Carlos Museum Handbook (Atlanta: Michael C. Carlos Museum, 1996), 112.
MCCM Newsletter, March - May 2008.
Michael C. Carlos Museum: Highlights of the Collections (Atlanta: Michael C. Carlos Museum, 2011), 107.

ProvenanceEx coll. William S. Arnett (1939-2020), Atlanta, Georgia.

Status

Not on view

Collections