Luba: Visions of Africa
This image-filled book features outstanding works of Luba art from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Major themes to be addressed include the role of visual and performance arts in Luba traditional politics; the symbolism of the female image and why 'the king is a woman' for Luba; the instrumentality of royal insignia in politics, problem-solving, and healing; and the use of art objects in the creation and transmission of historical knowledge in both the Luba heartland and its peripheries....
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This image-filled book features outstanding works of Luba art from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Major themes to be addressed include the role of visual and performance arts in Luba traditional politics; the symbolism of the female image and why 'the king is a woman' for Luba; the instrumentality of royal insignia in politics, problem-solving, and healing; and the use of art objects in the creation and transmission of historical knowledge in both the Luba heartland and its peripheries. Case studies from the authors' long research among Luba, Tabwa, and related peoples of the Congo will illuminate the complex philosophical underpinnings of Luba thought and visual expression.
Art and Efficacy 7Efficacy, Agency, and the Capacities of Things 10Luba Art through the Lens of Time 11Identifying Luba Artists 13Accretions of Identity 16"The Buli Master" 18Luba Arts of Memory and Diplomacy 19Mbudye: Keepers of the Code 21Privileges of Possession 24Beads of Memory 27Masquerades and Mnemonic Performance 29Bulopwe and the "Making" of Kings 31Kings of the Sacred Blood 31Seats of Power 34Headrests: the Seat of Dreams 36Staffs of Life 38Forging Kingship 41Bilumbu Diviners: Masters of Metaphor and Magic 45Receptacles for Moonlight 47Bankishi: Objects of Activation and Instrumentality 50An Aesthetics of Efficacy: The Female Image in Luba Art 53The Cultural Construction of the Body 54Cultivating an Effective Body Politic 56Conclusions and Beginnings 58Plates 61Plate Captions 125Commented Bibliography 135
