Jewel cases

Luba Reliquary with a couple crouching

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We introduce a reliquary of the Bantu-speaking Luba ethnic group living in southern Congo. It is a container made to receive the relics of one or several ancestors in order to worship them. This custom is extended by many of the African peoples that although they have different characteristics, maintain a common pattern, almost all have one or, as in our piece, two anthropomorphic figures that are the protectors of the relics.
This piece is representative of a very elaborate handicraft, as can be seen on the  well defined hairstyles and the different postures of the characters, as well as the adornments of the recipient or cup.
The African reliquaries are so versatile that they can integrate in any modern  decoration, being able to be used as any other recipient or box, specifically as a jewel case.

Size 24 x 31 x 20 cm (9.4 x 12.2 x 7.9 inch) - Weight 3.1 Kg (6.8 pound) - Package weight 5 Kg (11 pound)