Cleveland Museum of Art

Bow Stand

Date

1800s

Medium

Wood and plant fiber

Culture

Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Luba-style carver

Department

African Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

A powerful symbol of the Luba king, bow stands were ceremonial objects that resided within the king’s private vicinity in the palace and were never displayed in public. Typically, bow stands depict a female figure, but the sculptor has carved a figure with ambiguously gendered human traits. This is a symbolic depiction that may allude to how divine rulers ( mulopwe ) were believed to have both “male” and “female” character traits, which allowed this sculpture to act as a vessel for spirits of any gender. The shape of this wooden bow stand is based on a more practical version in metal used by hunters.

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