Title	African tribal Art, luba box from Democratic Republic of Congo.
Types of object	Luba box
County of origin	Democratic Republic of Congo
People	luba
Materials	Wood
Approximate size	23.5cm -9 inches
Overall condition	Good, Please look carefully at the pictures which may also reveal condition and damage

 

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.