Male figure standing on animal

The precise meaning of this figure is unclear. It was enshrined and maintained by hunters who believed the hunting spirit Luwe would ensure a successful hunt, thereby providing meat for the community. The figure standing on the animal may allude to Mbidi Kiluwe in the guise of the hunting spirit as he rides the lead animal of a herd toward the hunter's blind or pit trap.

In the Luba epic, Mbidi Kiluwe is the culture hero, a foreign hunter and warrior from the east who introduced sacred kingship to the indigenous population that became the Luba. Among peoples conquered by the Luba or who otherwise came under Luba influence, Mbidi Kiluwe is depicted riding on the back of a buffalo, an elephant, or antelope.(13)

The Arts of Africa at the Dallas Museum of Art, cat. 48, pp. 154-155.

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NOTES:

13. Roberts, Mary Nooter, and Allen F. Roberts, eds. Memory: Luba and the Making of History. New York: Museum for African Art; Munich: Prestel, 1996. pp. 17-20, 216-218, cat. no. 93.