African Arts Gallery

This African Lega mask indicated the stage that its holder had reached within the Bwami, a learning society made up of different grades, and joined by wives whose spouses had reached the third level, that of ngandu . An oval volume for this mask, shallow, notched with heart-shaped arches in which the almond-shaped eyelids seem half-closed. The short nose surmounts a flat mouth matching the shape of the eyes. Abrasions and desiccation cracks.
Height on base: 38 cm.
Within the Léga, 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 17th century, the Lega settled on the west bank of the Lualaba River in the DRC. During ritual ceremonies, Idumu masks were presented to initiates placed on a barrier and surrounded by masks of smaller format. This mask is used during the initiation rites of the Bwami society. This is open to both men and women. The passage of a rank indicated the acquisition of a certain individual wisdom and morality.