Stool with Janus Caryatid Figures

Origin: Songye Tribe, D.R. Congo
Composition: wood, tacks, metal (repair), vegetable fiber, coin

Seats are highly important symbols within Luba and Songye society (the two tribes are closely related). For example, the Luba king’s palace referred to as “the seat of power,” and seating is a metaphor for the many levels and layers of hierarchy and stratification within the Luba kingdom. During initiation rites into the Mbudye secret society, rank and title are indicated by the progressive accession to more prestigious forms of seating, beginning with simple woven mats and moving on to animal skins and furs, then modeled clay thrones, and finally, sculpted wooden stools and thrones that are reserved for kings and spirits. Stools are such potent emblems that they are often kept in secrecy, and only brought out on very rare and special occasions.

In addition to the concept of past and future, the Janiform image in African cultures also deals with the dualities of beginnings and endings, dark and light, male and female, beauty and ugliness, and innocence and wisdom.

During the 16th century, the Songye migrated from the Shaba area, which is now the southern part of the D.R. Congo, and settled on the left bank of the Lualaba River, on a savannah and forest-covered plateau. Divided into numerous sub-groups, the 150,000 Songye people are governed by a central chief, the Yakitenge, whose role demands that he obey special restrictive laws, such as not showing grief, not drinking in public, and not shaking hands with men. In addition, local rulers, the Sultani Ya Muti, distribute plots of land to their villagers and an influential secret society, Bwadi Bwa Kifwebe, counterbalances their power. Unlike their neighbors, the Luba, the Songye tribe is a patriarchal society in which agriculture is central to the economy (Ref: Bacquart, "Tribal Arts of Africa"; Verswijver, "Masterpieces from Central Africa").

This two figure Songye stool is one of the best we will ever come upon. Its age is difficult to deny, with time taking its toll on the piece in a variety of lovely ways. The details are endless. There is an incredible local repair, using melted and thereafter pounded metal to form a stitch throughout the top of the stool. There is also a five-sided star of metal tacks embedded in the seat. The age shows itself again in the polished (from time and human touch) areas of the stool—the arms of the figures, the breasts, and edges of both the seat and the base. The bundled and crimped raffia skirts have a great deal of charm and were woven with care. The patina on the heavily worn Congolese coin is quite rich as well.

Please contact us to inquire about this piece at (415) 362-6601 or info@sujaro.com.