- Lukasa (memory board)
- Mbudye Society, Luba peoples, Congo basin
- 19th to 20th century
- wood, beads, metal
Luba Peoples
- located in Congo basin
- history is performed, not read
- elite members of Mbudye society record history
Mbudye Society
- the court historieans associate memories with locations
- guarding Luba politics and tradition
- considered elite men of memory
- requires extensive training
- created in 1700s
- keep kings in check based on traditional power and role
Lukasa Memory Board
- used to remember history
- used by Luba historians
- oral performance
- permits multiple interpretations
- used as checks and balances
- held in left hand when read
- beads are traced with right finger
- interpretation is flexible
- beads have meaning
- may stand for individuals
- arrangements in color represent proverbs
- show historical landscape
- rectangular or hourglass shape
- represents all at once
- Luba landscape
- royal court
- human anatomy
- royal tortoise
- beads
- used to evoke meanings of the past
- small, handheld
- narrow at center for grip
- carved geometric designs on back side
- back is carved in shape of tortoise
- carved in relief or studded