1969.S.99 Male figure standing on animal

Hands on his hips , this male figure stands securely on the back of an animal. The precise meaning of this figure is unclear. It may allude to Mbidi Kiluwe, the culture hero, in the guise of the hunting spirit Luwe as he rides the lead animal of a herd toward the hunter's blind or pit trap. In the Luba epic, Mbidi Kiluwe is a foreign hunter and warrior from the east who introduced sacred kingship to the indigenous population that became the Luba. Among the peoples conquered by the Luba or who otherwise came under Luba influence, Mbidi Kiluwe is depicted riding on the back of a buffalo, an elephant, or antelope.  Such figures were enshrined and maintained by hunters who believed Luwe would ensure a successful hunt, thereby providing meat for the community. 

n.d.: Gustave Dehondt, Brussels

n.d.: Clark and Frances Stillman Collection, Dallas, Texas/New York

1969: Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, gift of Eugene and Margaret McDermott [1]

[1] The name of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, founded in 1933, was changed to the Dallas Museum of Art in 1983.

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