Stool in Buli style
Luba
The Luba is an ethnic group
of a Bantu-speaking people residing in the south-eastern part of Zaire.
They are farmers and fishermen. Formerly the Luba were united under a
single ruler and now they comprise several autonomous chiefdoms. The Luba
are known for their woodcarving and other arts.
The Luba is also a collective name for two different dialects spoken in Zaire.
These are Tshiluba in Kasai, spoken by the Baluba-Kas
and Kiluba in Katanga, spoken by the Baluba-Kat.
In the sixteenth century the kingdom with Luba and Lunda
rulers was created. During the expansion and growth of the Lunda and Luba
empires there was a lot of rivalry between two groups. The Lunda were
able to keep advantages over the Luba although there was a big influence
of the Luba on cultural life of their neighbours. In the Kasai
province of Zaire the word Luba means "slave"
because many Kuba slaves were of Luba origin.
Some of the finest Luba carvings are the
ceremonial stools supported figures (right), most often in the form of a woman holding the
seat, others held up by two figures, male and female - side by side or back to back.
Back to ethnic groups page
