The Lega is an ethnic group found in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Lega tribe art is created for primarily their semisecret associations of men and women, such as the Bwami society of the Lega peoples. The teachings of Bwami are a cornerstone of all aspects of life, guiding the moral development of the individual and governing relations with others. Bwami doctrine is represented by wood and ivory masks, heads, and small figures, all of which play a vital role during initiation into the society’s highest grades.
This is a Lega mask also called Rega/ Warega in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, these small masks, called ‘Lukwakongo’, served as a form of ‘identification’ for the members of the ‘Bwami’ society. They were not worn on the face but exhibited, tied to the upper arm, or hung on a fence during meetings of the Bwami society in order to allow the arriving members to see who was already present. These maskettes were hand-carried in a dance, dragged or swung by their beards, hung over a shoulder. It is important to note that in very few instances the maskette is carried lying on the head or fixed on a tall black, goat mane hat worn by “Yananio” initiates, often in combination with one or two masks or hung from the front hat so that the beard covers the face of its wearer. The following is a flat mask made from light wood and has a brown patina and shows good age and usage.
- Material: wood, raffia, and kaolin in the face
- Age:approx 50-60yrs
- Origin: Democratic Republic Of Congo
- Condition: Good
- SKU: LMIN-055
- Weight: 0.1 kg
- Dimensions: 8 x 14.3 x 1 cm