Most Luba art relates to kings and important chiefs, who defined
their power by the display of prestige objects during important ceremonies.
Headrests were more personal, and were used primarily to support the neck,
preserving the elaborate hair styles traditional among the Luba people.
Motifs included figures, pairs of figures, a figure on horseback and more.
The user was literally as well as figuratively supported by the carved figures,
which also symbolized the continuity of power in a matrilineal society.
Elaborate coiffures and scarification patterns attested to the high rank
of both the depicted figure and the owner of the headrest. Similar in style
and quality are Luba stools, among the most prized in Africa.
Despite their appearance, these headrests show little evidence of age
or use and were probably made to be sold.
PHOTOGRAPHY NOTE: All of the headrests are very dark and the
newer photographs are the more accurate in color.
