The Luba empire was founded in 1585 i n the Upemba depression by King Kongolo. His nephew and successor, Kalala Ilunga, rapidly expanded the kingdom to encompass all the territories on the upper left bank of the Lualaba River. At its peak, about one million people, living in several tribes, were paying tribute to the Luba king. At the end of the the 19th century, with the advance of the Ovimbudu people from Angola and th raids of the East African Muslim slavers, the empire weakened and, in fact, collapsed when the Belgian colonials took control.
With the assistance of a court of notables, called Bamfumus, the king, known as the Mulopwe, reigned over his subjects through clan kings called Balopwe. These clan kings could symbolically become the Mulopwe's son which created client states throughout the empire. A secret society, Bambudye, kept the memory of the Luba empire alive eand permeated throughout Luba territory, bonding the diverse populations together. The Luba empire economy was complex, it was based on a tribute system and the redistribution of resources from agriculture, fishing, hunting, and mining. The production of salt and iron was under the king's control.
Luba artists created numerous objects that related to the royal court activities. Prestige objects were usually decorated with female figures which are omnipresent in Luba art. As the Luba empire extends over a vast territory, there are a large number of stylistic variations. Luba artists showed their social status through the adze they carry on their shoulders.
