Maternity. Kuba culture. Democratic Republic of Congo, XIX century.

Motherhood. Kuba culture. Democratic Republic of Congo, 19th century.
Wood.
Provenance :- Collected in situ by Boris Kegel-Konietzko in 1959. - Kegel-Konietzko & Dorn, Hamburg, Germany.
Measurements: 30 cm. height.

Carved wood sculpture representing a woman resting her forearms on her navel, in a gesture that symbolizes childbearing, as it is an allegory of fertility. It is an effigy of the Kuba culture.

During the XVII and XVIII centuries, the Kuba kingdom of the Congo developed a community with structure, traditions, architecture and art well differentiated and recognized by the neighboring states. Its social organization was pyramidal, and this was the "secret" to develop a full-fledged state. From the king or nyim to the nobility, spiritual leaders, artisans and farmers. It is claimed that they had an unwritten constitution, separation of powers, elected political offices, taxes, laws, judges, juries, police and army. They even created an agricultural calendar that allowed them to obtain several harvests of corn per year, and an artistic production highly valued by collectors.