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Source Description
Luba pendants made in ivory or bone were originally suspended on a cord and worn diagonally across the chest of a high-ranking member of society. Often accompanied by amulets, beads, or small antelope horns, they represented ancestral spirits and served as portals to ancestral wisdom and beneficence. Many of these diminutive figurines hold their hands to their breasts as a sign of the secrets and wisdom they contain.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
168754
label
Pendant
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
168754
contentType
object
title
Pendant
description
Luba pendants made in ivory or bone were originally suspended on a cord and worn diagonally across the chest of a high-ranking member of society. Often accompanied by amulets, beads, or small antelope horns, they represented ancestral spirits and served as portals to ancestral wisdom and beneficence. Many of these diminutive figurines hold their hands to their breasts as a sign of the secrets and wisdom they contain.
date
late 1800s–early 1900s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q80075135
genreSpecific
Jewelry
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 8.6 x 2.3 x 4.5 cm (3 3/8 x 7/8 x 1 3/4 in.)
cul
Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Luba-style maker
accession
2010.456
Source extras
tec
Ivory
tombstone
Pendant, late 1800s–early 1900s. Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Luba-style maker. Ivory; overall: 8.6 x 2.3 x 4.5 cm (3 3/8 x 7/8 x 1 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund, 2010.456
collection
African Art
didYouKnow
The caramel-colored patina of the ivory indicates the frequent usage of the pendant.
citations
citation
Petridis, Constantine, et al. <em>Fragments of the Invisible: The René and Odette Delenne Collection of Congo Sculpture.</em> Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art. Milan: 5 Continents Editions, 2013, 84.
page_number
Mentioned: pp. 81, 114; reproduced: p. 84, cat. 28
creditline
René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:40:48.375000
sourceId
168754
dept
African Art
coll
African Art
med
Ivory
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
4cf6f9df2aaf7e2d