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Pendant

late 1800s–early 1900s

Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Luba-style maker

Medium
Ivory
Measurements
Overall: 8.6 x 2.3 x 4.5 cm (3 3/8 x 7/8 x 1 3/4 in.)
Credit Line
René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund 2010.456
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print
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Did You Know?

The caramel-colored patina of the ivory indicates the frequent usage of the pendant.

Description

Luba pendants made in ivory or bone were originally suspended on a cord and worn diagonally across the chest of a high-ranking member of society. Often accompanied by amulets, beads, or small antelope horns, they represented ancestral spirits and served as portals to ancestral wisdom and beneficence. Many of these diminutive figurines hold their hands to their breasts as a sign of the secrets and wisdom they contain.
This polished ivory pendant depicts a leaning human figure with an oversized head and wide, oval eyes framed by raised borders. Below a cap-like ridge, the small mouth is open. A central circular hole pierces the smooth, tapered torso, which is stained with warm brown and tan hues. Fine cracks mark the aged surface. A small knob extends from the lower abdomen above a ridged, circular base.

Pendant

late 1800s–early 1900s

Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Luba-style maker

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