GENERAL DESCRIPTION
This sculpted female figure elegantly visualizes Luba concepts of feminine beauty, maturity, and civilization. Her hair is carefully arranged, and her eyes are downcast in modesty. Her body is elaborately decorated with scarification (ntapo) with named patterns inspired by things in nature. The figure’s glossy surface refers to a real-life feminine practice of applying oil nightly to scarified skin in order to heighten attractiveness. Her pose is that of a mature woman holding her breasts to signify women’s responsibility to guard the secrets of royalty.
Luba girls learned that a woman is not born beautiful but becomes so as a result of modifications to her face and body. This process begins at puberty, as part of coming-of-age rituals (butanda) that transform girls into physically beautiful and strong women who can fulfill their destiny as wives and mothers, and perhaps as receptacles for the spirit of a deceased king.
Excerpt from
Roslyn A. Walker, Label text, Arts of Africa, 2015.
NOTES
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
n.d.: Walschot Collection, Brussels [1]
n.d.: Clark and Frances Stillman Collection, New York [2]
1969: Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, gift of Eugene and Margaret McDermott, purchased from above [3]
[1] Existing TMS provenance record entry.
[2] Untitled document compiled Spring 2007 in collections record object file. The document lists the provenance, publications, and exhibition history of the object.
[3] The name of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, founded in 1933, was changed to the Dallas Museum of Art in 1983.
AUDIO ASSETS
Max Hartmann, Standing female figure, 44997625: UMO
VIDEO ASSETS
Curator Roslyn Walker discusses this sculpture, 12937510: UMO
IMAGE ASSETS
EXTERNAL WEB RESOURCES
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES
FUN FACTS
TEACHING IDEAS
RULES
apply to objects where number equals 1969.S.96
Category
rules_operator
AND
General Description
This sculpted female figure elegantly visualizes Luba concepts of feminine beauty, maturity, and civilization. Her hair is carefully arranged, and her eyes are downcast in modesty. Her body is elaborately decorated with scarification (ntapo) with named patterns inspired by things in nature. The figure’s glossy surface refers to a real-life feminine practice of applying oil nightly to scarified skin in order to heighten attractiveness. Her pose is that of a mature woman holding her breasts to signify women’s responsibility to guard the secrets of royalty.
Luba girls learned that a woman is not born beautiful but becomes so as a result of modifications to her face and body. This process begins at puberty, as part of coming-of-age rituals (butanda) that transform girls into physically beautiful and strong women who can fulfill their destiny as wives and mothers, and perhaps as receptacles for the spirit of a deceased king.
Excerpt from
Roslyn A. Walker, Label text, Arts of Africa, 2015.
Fun Facts
Archival Resources
Web Resources
Notes
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
n.d.: Walschot Collection, Brussels [1]
n.d.: Clark and Frances Stillman Collection, New York [2]
1969: Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, gift of Eugene and Margaret McDermott, purchased from above [3]
[1] Existing TMS provenance record entry.
[2] Untitled document compiled Spring 2007 in collections record object file. The document lists the provenance, publications, and exhibition history of the object.
[3] The name of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, founded in 1933, was changed to the Dallas Museum of Art in 1983.
AUDIO ASSETS
Max Hartmann, Standing female figure, 44997625: UMO
VIDEO ASSETS
Curator Roslyn Walker discusses this sculpture, 12937510: UMO
rules
Apply To
Objects
number
Equals
1969.S.96
source file
object_notes_4_a-0315.xml.nores