The Lega (also called Rega, Barega or Warega) of the eastern Congo distinguish between two groups of masks in their Bwami Society — the 'Idimu’ face masks and the smaller 'Lukwakongo' masks (for a more detailed explanation see cat. no. 104). The present mask is an extraordinarily large example of a ‘Lukwakongo mask’, also known as ‘Bulinda’. Indicative thereof are the scarcely used peripheral piercings, as used for a masked costume. Carved out of lightweight wood, this is a representative Lega piece: oval/round, slightly concave, with an inwardly cupped face, long straight nose, coffee bean eyes, with a pair of diagonal scarification marks on both cheeks and with a small, open mouth outlining rows of teeth. The particularity of this mask is its white face, almost fully coated in kaolin. What this means is that the masked being comes from the afterlife, the ancestral world of spirits, forging a link between the living and their forebears. Within Lega culture, this type of mask is an important symbol of continuity and generational transmission. Such masks were made use of as ritual objects in initiations to the higher ranks of the Bwami Society. They were never the private property of an individual. Rather, upon death, they were passed on to the next initiate. An interesting piece possessing shiny old usage patina on its inner side. Only minor age-related damage (some small pieces broken off the back rim, a small hole to the right on the mask’s forehead). H: 20 cm; W: 16 cm. First half of the 20th century. (ME)

Provenance: On the consignor’s account, acquired in the village of Kasambula, Maniema province; English Private Collection.

Lit.:

Lit.: ‘L’art des Lega’, catalogue of the Musée du Quai Branly, Paris, ill. 29, 157; 'Joyaux Lega' by Baeke & Rousseau, ill. 1, 11.