Caravan of Culture - The Luba Cross

The Luba Cross originates from the historical region of Sanga in the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to Anne Wilson (1972: 575), the cross was part of the long-distance trade in the Congo which was dominated by the historical empire and region of Luba Lomani in the early 19th Century. The cross was made of copper and was used as currency in the long-distance trade routes between the different regions in the Congo and the neighbouring countries. Wilson notes trade route movement and by extension that

At Sanga, for example their introduction was associated with a vast expansion in the manufacture of crosses. This expansion would have been reflected in the traditional trade with neighbouring countries […] Luba Lomani was linked with the Kazembe region in several ways. It used the copper crosses of Kazembe as currency. And every year Luba Lomani traders went to the copper region to purchase them (1972: 580).