African Arts Gallery

The sobriety of the African masks of the Lega. This African mask is used during the initiation rites of the Bwami society. It is open to both men and women. The center bears residues of kaolin. The passage of a rank indicated the acquisition of a certain wisdom and individual morality. Abraded two-tone patina. Height on base : 38 cm. Within the Lega, the Bwami society open to men and women,organized social and political life. There were up to seven levels of initiation, each associated with emblems. Following their exodus from Uganda during the seventeenth century, the Lega settled on the west bank of the Lualaba River in the DRC. Also known as Warega, they live in self-contained villages surrounded by palisades, usually on hilltops. The role of chief, kindi, is held by the oldest man in the clan, who must be the highest ranking. As in other forest tribes, the men hunt and clear land while the women cultivate cassava. Social recognition and authority had to be earned individually: the chief owed his selection to his heart (mutima), good character, intelligence, and impeccable behavior. During ritual ceremonies, Idumu masks, collectively owned, were presented to initiates placed on a fence and surrounded by individual masks of smaller size.