Final answer:
The Lukasa is a memory board used by the Luba people to encode and interpret historical and cosmological knowledge, serving as a mnemonic aid for the Mbudye Society. It is studded with beads and metal, and represents historical figures, genealogies, and the spatial organization of royal compounds.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Lukasa (memory board) of the Mbudye Society is a memory device used by the Luba people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This artifact represents a unique form of recording historical and cosmological knowledge. The board features a wooden surface studded with beads and metal pieces, which experts and initiates of the society can read and interpret. These visual and tactile elements on the Lukasa are designed to depict complex pieces of information concerning the Luba empire, including genealogies, historical narratives, and the spatial organization of royal compounds.
Option 3, referring to historical figures and Mbudye members, closely aligns with the symbolic role of these memory boards. The encoding of knowledge is not only historical but also intertwined with the leaders and members of the society who are keepers of this knowledge. The Mbudye Society, acting as the storied custodians, uses the Lukasa to preserve and transmit cultural memory and history orally across generations, ensuring the continuity of Luba heritage and identity.