id: 311742 accession number: 2018.27 share license status: CC0 url: https://clevelandart.org/art/2018.27 updated: 2022-03-22 09:00:37.038000 Bow Stand, 1800s. Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Luba-style carver. Wood and plant fiber; without base: 57.9 x 23 x 10 cm (22 13/16 x 9 1/16 x 3 15/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2018.27 title: Bow Stand title in original language: series: series in original language: creation date: 1800s creation date earliest: 1800 creation date latest: 1899 current location: 108A Sub-Saharan creditline: Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund copyright: --- culture: Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Luba-style carver technique: Wood and plant fiber department: African Art collection: African Art type: Sculpture find spot: catalogue raisonne: --- CREATORS --- measurements: without base: 57.9 x 23 x 10 cm (22 13/16 x 9 1/16 x 3 15/16 in.) state of the work: edition of the work: support materials: inscriptions: --- CURRENT EXHIBITIONS title: African art rotation opening date: 2019-02-20T05:00:00 African art rotation. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer). --- LEGACY EXHIBITIONS --- PROVENANCE (Jacaranda LLC, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) date: –2018 footnotes: citations: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH date: 2018– footnotes: citations: --- fun fact: digital description: A powerful symbol of the Luba king, bow stands were ceremonial objects that resided within the king’s private vicinity in the palace and were never displayed in public. Typically, bow stands depict a female figure, but the sculptor has carved a figure with ambiguously gendered human traits. This is a symbolic depiction that may allude to how divine rulers (mulopwe) were believed to have both “male” and “female” character traits, which allowed this sculpture to act as a vessel for spirits of any gender. wall description: A powerful symbol of the Luba king, bow stands were ceremonial objects that resided within the king’s private vicinity in the palace and were never displayed in public. Typically, bow stands depict a female figure, but the sculptor has carved a figure with ambiguously gendered human traits. This is a symbolic depiction that may allude to how divine rulers (mulopwe) were believed to have both “male” and “female” character traits, which allowed this sculpture to act as a vessel for spirits of any gender. --- RELATED WORKS --- CITATIONS --- IMAGES web: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2018.27/2018.27_web.jpg print: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2018.27/2018.27_print.jpg full: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2018.27/2018.27_full.tif