Figural Bottle

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the Luba kingdom grew in strength and influence, dominating a large region centered on the resource-rich Upemba Depression, lying along the Lualaba River in south-central Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Kaonde, Lomotwa, Lunda, and Zela all live in the outer reaches of the Luba kingdom, and their pottery reflects the regional influence of Luba ceramics as well as its broader cultural diversity.This bottle has been fully given over to the human form, depicting a woman holding a highly stylized baby in her left arm. Such vessels usually hold water or alcohol, whether palm wine, home-brewed beer, or even distilled liquor. They may also be used to pour libations in honor of ancestors or may be placed on shrines or graves. [See also 2005.284].