Luba People Analysis

The unknown work of art comes from the Luba peoples of the Mbudye Society in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is attributed to the Lukasa (memory board) from around the 19th century to the 20th century. The piece is made of wood, beads, and metal. The Luba peoples created many different works of art. Some pieces represented women since they were important in this society. They also sculpted stools, mboko (divination bowls), bow stands, and the Lukasa. They had a centralized authority: the sacred king, mulopwe. Their religion was based on ancestor veneration and they paid tributes to spirits, and they also considered their king divine. The elite Mbudye Society was composed of elderly men who were known as the “men of memory” for they kept track of their tribe’s history using the Lukasa. The similarities of the visual and contextual evidence between the 2 artworks will be identified in order to prove the attribution of the unknown piece of art. The unknown piece shares the same elements and principles as the Lukasa. The unknown work of art displays form because it has many shapes and figures that emerge from the board. It also create balance as all of the different shapes are positioned throughout the board evenly. …show more content…
The unknown piece is used to keep track of the society’s records. The various shapes and configuration of the board relays different information. The Lukasa board’s arrangement also communicate different information. These boards are used as a memory aid for the elder men that use it. They hold it in their left hand and touch the boards with their right index finger to recall the myths and legends of the kingdom. When reading the board, there are details about the origin of the Luba people and names of the previous rulers. Since the Mbudye Society deemed their kings to be sacred and of high importance, members were required to know the history of their tribe and