Memory board "lukasa"
D. R. Congo, Luba
sold
EUR 3,600
Provenance
Pierre Dartevelle, Brussels, BelgiumZemanek-Münster, Würzburg, 24 November 2012, lot 401
Walter Schmidt, Würzburg/Innsbruck, Germany/Austria
Size
H: 27,5 cm
H: 10.8 inch
Description
wood, partly encrusted patina, cowrie snails, beads, stud with beads and pins, incised linear decor on both sides, min. dam., slight traces of abrasion;
used during “mbudye” rituals at inauguration of new rulers; serving to teach sacred lore about culture heroes, clan migrations, the introduction of the sacred rule, to recite genealogies, king lists, and the episodes in the founding charter. Each “lukasa” elicits some or all informations, but the narration varies with the knowledge and oratory skill of the reader.
Comparing literature
Roberts, Mary Nooter, Memory, New York 1996, p. 39, ill. 7Publications
AHDRC: 0141994