Luba Lukasa divinatory board
The lukasa is the divination and memory tablet of the Luba people (an ethnic group in the Democratic Republic of Congo). It is a portable wooden device covered with beads, nails, shells, and incisions, serving as an archive for the diviners of the Mbudye ritual society.
Used by the bana balute (Luba people), this lukasa activates oral memory (genealogies, migration narratives, ritual sites, and royal lists) through coded configurations of beads and patterns.
The lukasa thus embodies a unique visual mnemonic technology, essential for the preservation and transmission of Luba history.
02592
Data sheet
- Presumed dating
- Mid XXth century
- Size
- 35 cm
- Ethnic group
- Material(s)
- Wood, beads
- Country
- Origin
- Parmentier family Collection
- Condition
- Very good
The lukasa is the divination and memory tablet of the Luba people (an ethnic group in the Democratic Republic of Congo). It is a portable wooden device covered with beads, nails, shells, and incisions, serving as an archive for the diviners of the Mbudye ritual society.
Used by the bana balute (Luba people), this lukasa activates oral memory (genealogies, migration narratives, ritual sites, and royal lists) through coded configurations of beads and patterns.
The lukasa thus embodies a unique visual mnemonic technology, essential for the preservation and transmission of Luba history.