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Prestige Stool (Kipona)

Luba peoples, identified as the Master of the Warua or the Kunda

late 18th - early 19th century

Not on view

This prestige stool and the bowl-bearer also on view in the exhibition were acquired by the Belgian colonial officer Joseph Van den Boogaerde in the Kongolo territory of Eastern Congo between 1913 and 1916. How Charles Vignier came across them remains a mystery, but by 1919 he was in possession of several works from this source and sent them to the De Zayas Gallery.
This insignia of leadership is a masterpiece of Luba art. Striking for its perfectly balanced proportions and exactingly carved features, its creator is only known to us as the Warua Master. Ten works have been attributed to this 18th century artist, including stools, bow stands, and power figures.

Prestige Stool (Kipona), Wood, glass beads, Luba peoples, identified as the Master of the Warua or the Kunda — Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Prestige Stool (Kipona)

Date: late 18th - early 19th century

Geography: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Luvua Valley Region

Culture: Luba peoples, identified as the Master of the Warua or the Kunda

Medium: Wood, glass beads

Dimensions: H. x W. x D.: 16 11/16 x 9 1/8 x 8 7/16 in. (42.4 x 23.2 x 21.4 cm)

Classification: Wood

Credit Line: The University of Pennsylvania Museum, Philadelphia

Accession Number: Armory-Museums-09

The Met

The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing at The Met

The Met's collection of art of the peoples of sub-Saharan Africa, the Pacific Islands, and North, Central, and South America comprises more than eleven thousand works of art of varied materials and types, representing diverse cultural traditions from as early as 3000 B.C.E. to the present.