Luba figure
Luba.
Southeastern Congo (Zaire)
A XIXth century, Luba Shankadi.
Price : on request
Provenance: my mother collection
Types of Art: The iconographic representation of women in Luba
sculpture is widespread and correlates to the important role of women in Luba
society. The Luba are best known for their stools, divination bowls (mboko),
beautifully carved bow stands, and memory boards (lukasa).
History: The relentless expansion of Luba empire can be
traced as far back as 1500, when it emerged from the Upemba depression which is
still the heartland of the Luba. Eastward expansion to Lake Tanganyika
intensified under the leadership of Ilungu Sungu between 1780 and 1810. This was
followed by north and southeast expansion until 1840 under Kumwimbe Ngombe and
then to the northwest and northeast from 1840 to 1870 under Ilunga Kabale. The
empire began to diminish after his death in 1870 as Arab slave traders and
European invaders challenged notions of Luba supremacy in the region
contributing to the decline of Luba power. The legacy of the great empire is
still recognizable in the region today, where local customs and art styles often
reflect a strong Luba influence.
Economy: During the height of its reign, the Luba empire
operated on a complex system of tributes which acted to redistribute wealth
throughout the region. The ruling class had a virtual monopoly on trade items
such as salt, copper, and iron ore, which allowed them to continue their
dominance. Most citizens of the empire relied on slash and burn farming for
subsistence. This was supplemented with fishing and hunting. The importance of
hunting was reinforced by social institutions, which celebrated the fortunes of
good hunters.
Political Systems: The Luba empire was characterized by
centralized authority vested in a sacred king (mulopwe). This king enforced his
power through the control of subordinate regional leaders who normally inherited
their status based on their positions within various patriclans. The mulopwe's
power was reinforced by a royal diviner who was responsible for formally
initiating him into his royal position. Numerous institutions existed to
counterbalance the absolute power of the king. The best known of these
institutions is the Bambudye society, whose members are responsible for
remembering the history of the kingdom and whose interpretations of history
could often influence the actions of active rulers.
Religion: The primary religion was based on veneration of the ancestors
and involved paying tribute to the spirits. The Luba royalty incorporated
religious elements into the justification for their rule. Like the monarchies of
western Europe, the position of the Luba king was seen as divinely inspired and
directly correlated with the genesis myth for the people. As such, the
investiture of the king's power was represented in a complex coronation ritual
involving religious confirmation from a diviner.
info found at: http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/people/Luba.html
Price & Information ref nr:
statue 03.00.02.1006
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3 227.35.40
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