Long-necked Lulua figures are used for a range of spiritual practices and are associated with ancestral spirits. Those supporting a vessel in one hand are called mbulenga, meaning ?for beauty, for good luck,? and cast protection over infants. Coated with the reddish-brown pigment of the camwood tree (ngula). Provenance: Collected by Sophia and Roy Sieber. The ngula pigment used to color these statues also mirrored Lulua beauty techniques, as they applied a vibrant tone to their bodies with a mixture of red earth, oil, and kaolin. This example shows a vigorous posture with bent arms tucked against the body, thick bent legs, and a protruding umbilicus, which symbolizes inner power. The neck is quite long and emphasizes the size of the head, which is peaked with the ?horn? commonly found in these figures. Its face bears an imposing expression with arched eyebrows. Scarification patterns are found on the forehead, jawline, and neck. Traces of a white substance remain in the cup held in the figure?s left hand. -Jakarandatribal.com 6 1/2"H