*Tabouret à cariatide Luba République Démocratique du Congo Suite du lot précédent Important sculpture of a woman whose uplifted arms support a circular seat, her legs folded along the sides of the base. The face with its broad curved forehead is ornamented with carved markings in relief of the frontal bone and scarifications on the temples. The features are naturalistic and delicate : the tragus of each ear is triangular, the eyes half-closed eyes and the mouth slightly open. The powerful neck rises up from wide shoulders, the arms are thrust up, their strong hands ending in long fingers which extend slightly beyond the seat. The bust and the abdomen bear a constellation of thick scarifications from sternum to pubis, radiating from a protruding navel. The curved legs are folded back, revealing the soles of the feet and the toes. The wide, curving back is decorated along the line descending into the buttocks by raised scarifications. At the back of the head, a cross of Katanga headdress has been sculpted. Emblems of royalty, the Luba caryatid seats are also identified according to the seven distinct stylistic groups to which they belong (F. Neyt, Luba aux sources du Zaïre, Musée Dapper, Paris, 1993, p.77). All of them represent a woman, sometimes holding a child. Their use ensures that the sovereign does not touch the ground, except through the woman as intermediary (op. cit. p. 104). With its ample volumes and naturalism, the Gaffé caryatid can be compared to works of Kisala-Mwanza style, one example of which is in the collections of the Museum of New Orleans (op. cit., reproduced p. 80). It can also be compared, especially for the positioning of the hands, to the caryatids of the Lukulu-Kiambi workshop (op. cit. p. 88). According to the precise rules of the Luba style, the Gaffé caryatid is distinguished by the ampleness of its forms, their shapes underlined by the superb black lacquering. Her large bust-a rather uncommon characteristic-only add to the object's remarkable originality. 200000 / 250000 €