1: An old Lega necklace from eastern Congo. Made of white and red glass beads and decorated with ivory objects: 1 small ivory mask, 5 pierced head sculptures made of ivory, in typical Lega style, and 10 pairs (each 2 items) of pierced ivory spikes. All alternating, and separated by 6 white and red glass beads in each instance, threaded on a string of vegetal fibre. Length: 38 cm (whole chain, folded over); the mask: length: 8 cm; ivory heads: length: from 6 cm to 8 cm; ivory points: length: from 6 cm to 9 cm.

2: A Lega necklace, from eastern Congo. Made of white glass beads, decorated with animal teeth and three ivory heads in a typical Lega style. The three old, pierced ivory heads hang centrally from underneath. The smallest head is also pierced at the top. 4 pierced animal teeth (leopard?) follow to the left and right on each side. All eleven decorative elements are ‘spaced out’ by one to three white glass beads and threaded on to a twisted string. Length: 22 cm (whole chain, folded over); ivory heads: length: 8 cm, 6 cm, 5 cm; animal teeth: length: from 4.5 cm to 7.5 cm.

3: A Luba necklace from southern Congo. Made of large blue and small white (some transparent) glass beads. In the middle, an ivory half figure hangs down, carved in a typical Luba style. Pierced and with a very old speckled shiny patina on the ivory. This attractive old figure is flanked by two animal teeth. Above, opposite the figure, is a smaller animal tooth. All threaded on a twisted string. Length: 34 cm (whole chain, folded over); the ivory figure:
Height: 5 cm; the animal teeth: 6 cm, 5.7 cm and 3.5 cm. All the parts of the 3 objects in this mixed lot are old, have noticeable traces of long-term use and have a correspondingly old patina: between c. 1900 and the first third of the 20th century. (ME) ASA

Provenance: South African private collection.

Lit.: ‘L’art des Lega’, catalogue of the Musée du Quai Branly Paris, ill. 20, 48, 49, 64; ‘Joyaux Lega’ by Benoit Rousseau, ill. p. 42.