Luba people and their socio-economic history
The Luba people live in the south-east of what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. Historically, this region is known to be quite wealthy. This is because of the complex trade routes which crossed into the region. The elaborate trading in the area began as early as the 1600s.
Being exposed to different people meant that the Luba people engaged with objects and people from other cultures. Additionally, it meant that their location became an important area. Many individuals became quite wealthy from these interactions. A complex state structure (how the area was governed) was also formed. This state structure rested on two main ideas. The first idea was of a divine king, which is a king chosen by a god or multiple gods. The second idea was of rule by a council, where a group of wise people come together to decide what the best thing to do is. This system of government made the Luba area even more important, and brought even more wealth in.
The Headrest
Many of the wealthy elite in the Luba community would commission (request) works of art. An example of what would be commissioned is a carved, wooden headrest. These headrests were designed to protect the magnificent hairstyles of their owner. There is a very special headrest currently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
How does the headrest look?
The headrest is made of wood. The area where the person would lay their head is connected to the base by the wooden figure of a woman. The figure faces outwards so you can see its full face. The figure also has an elaborate hairstyle. This carved hair style is carved so that the owner rests their head on its “hair”. In this way, it is the carved figure’s hair that will keep the owner’s hair safe from being damaged. The style of this headrest is special because less than 20 pieces are known to have been ever made by this artist. The stylistic decisions the artist made (decisions about how the piece of art should look) create a visual celebration of craft and culture. While also functional, these headrests were explorations into the relevance of hairstyles as signs of social status.
