Royal Seat: Female Caryatid

Unknown

19th–20th century · Wood, metal, ivory, beads · Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

This commanding woman kneels on a circular disk while balancing another atop her head and strong arms. Further ornamented with precious ivory and beaded jewelry, such a powerful depiction of womanhood underscored a Songye chief’s ancestral right to rule. For the neighboring Luba, continuity of the royal line depended on women carrying new generations into the world. Royal seats honored women as the source of life, and they legitimized the chief’s authority by presenting idealized portraits of his female ancestors. Songye leaders adapted these thrones for their own use, portraying both male and female figurative supports. That customization reflects the equal weight Songye have placed on the importance of maternal and paternal lineages.

Artist

Unknown

Date

19th–20th century

Medium

Wood, metal, ivory, beads

Culture

Songye peoples

Department

Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

Credit line

The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Purchase, Nelson A. Rockefeller Gift, 1969