Country/Region of Manufacture: Congo
Culture: African
Title | Luba Standing statue Congo African Art |
County of | Democratic |
People | Luba |
Type of | figure |
Materials | Wood |
Approx. | 28 |
Additional Information: A Luba standing female figure.
The Luba are one of the dominant cultures of
the Congo, and perhaps number around one million. The Luba empire, which at one
time stretched from the west all the way to Lake Tanganyika, was at its most
powerful from around 1500 to the 1870's, when expansion reached east to lake's
edge. The decline of Luba power began soon afterwards, and can be traced to
Arab slave raiders and European colonialists, who did not recognize the power
of Luba laws and rituals, and alas, also possessed rifles and horses. Though no
longer politically powerful, Luba influences are still felt today throughout
much of the DRC. They are debatable the most recognized and respected of all
the art-producing cultures in central Africa. Most texts on African art will
devote a major section to the Luba, and a great source.