Tabwa Cooking Stick Congo

The Tabwa people, historically dominated by the Luba, gained independence in the 19th century with the prosperity brought by trade. Today, numbering 200,000, they are led by chiefs-sorcerers overseeing village and family chiefs. Traditional livelihoods included hunting and blacksmithing, but now focus on fishing and farming. Tabwa art reflects influences from Eastern Tanzanian and Western Luba neighbors, with linear geometric designs and incorporation of prestige objects. They worship ancestors and nature spirits, with ancestor statues serving as repositories of medicinal items. Divination and scarification are significant cultural practices, symbolizing social values and the duality of life.

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