Tchokwe art and Lunda Tribes.
The Chokwe are well known for art objects produced to
celebrate and validate the royal court.
A
female Tchokwe representation of a young girl (ex-Museum Stapelen)
© collection David Norden, Antwerp
These objects include ornately
carved stools and chairs used as thrones. Most of the sculptures are
portraits, which represent the royal lineage. Staffs, scepters, and spears
are among other implements sculpted to celebrate the court.
A fine
male Tchokwe Cihonga mask
© collection David Norden, Antwerp
Wealth acquired from this allowed the Chokwe kingdom
to expand, eventually overtaking the Lunda states that had held sway over
them for so long. Their success was short-lived, however. The effects of
overexpansion, disease, and colonialism resulted in the fragmentation of
Chokwe power.
The Chokwe do not recognize a paramount leader, but instead offer allegiance
to local chiefs who inherit their positions from the maternal uncle. The chiefs
(mwana nganga) consult with a committee of elders and ritual specialists before
making decisions. Villages are divided into manageable sections which are
governed by family headmen. All members of Chokwe society are divided into two
categories: those who are descended from the founding matrilineal lines and
those who are descended from former enslaved populations.
The Chokwe recognize Kalunga, the god of creation and supreme power, and a
series of nature and ancestral spirits (mahamba). These spirits may belong to
the individual, family, or the community, and neglecting them is sure to result
in personal or collective misfortune. Evil spirits may also be activated by
sorcerers (wanga) to cause illness, and this must be counteracted to regain
health. In order to accomplish this individuals normally consult with a diviner
(nganga), who attempts to uncover the source of the patient's problem. The most
common form of divination among the Chokwe is basket divination, which consists
of the tossing of up to sixty individual objects in a basket. The configuration
of the objects is then "read" by the diviner to determine the cause of
illness.
info found at : http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/people/Chokwe.html
Lunda
Although it is impossible to isolate specific examples of Lunda art, their
political activity in the region and their patronage of artists living in
neighboring ethnic groups influenced the artistic styles found throughout the
region. It is believed that all objects historically linked to the Lunda were
originally carved by neighbors, including Chokwe, Luba, Ding, and Lwena.
Lunda history is intricately tied to the peoples living throughout the entire
region of south central Congo (Zaire), western Zambia, and northern Angola. From
the early 17th century until the late 19th century when the Chokwe took over
regional power, the Lunda empire was the dominant political and military force
in this area of Africa. A political union with the neighboring Luba peoples
dates back to a royal wedding between Lweji, daughter of a Lunda land chief, and
Cibinda Ilunga, son of the first Luba king, Kalala Ilunga. Following this union
many dissatisfied clans left the centralized Lunda area and colonized new areas
of central Africa, extending the Lunda empire enormously. Lunda influence
remained considerable from Lake Tanganyika almost to the Atlantic Ocean, until
Chokwe and then colonial interventions diminished their power.
Nzambi is recognized as the supreme creator god, and appeals are never made
directly to him. Instead, ancestor spirits, who are responsible for doing both
good and bad, are called upon to fulfill individual and community requests at
all major community functions. Divination plays an important role in maintaining
a system of balance in the community, determining which spirits require
appeasement and when such activities should occur. Basket divination and rubbing
oracles are the most common forms of divination among the Lunda. Trees are
planted in a sacred grove during chiefly succession rites to represent the
ancestors of the current chief.
found at http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/people/Lunda.html
A small Tschokwe statue, top of a staff.