African Arts Gallery

Lega figure (N° 22709)

Among the many others used during the initiations, this sculpture African symbolizing clairvoyance, belonged to an initiate of the Bwami. The teacher guided the aspirant to a place where masks and statuettes were exhibited, and it was through careful observation that the future initiate had to guess the more or less complex meaning of the metaphors evoked by the sculptures, the latter largely referring to proverbs and sayings. Those who were not allowed to see the object, in order to be protected from it, had to undergo costly ceremonies, and sometimes even join the lower rank of the Bwami, the kongabulumbu, at great fees for families. Each of these initiations took place over seven days and included at least seven performances. Items "won" individually were then kept in a woven bag worn over the shoulder, in a basket for those won collectively. The "Masengo" objects of the Bwami ("powerful things") frequently present gaps, perforations, or abrasions of the wood, due to ritual removals in order to resort to Medicine. A decoction made up of the particles mixed with water was then administered to the patient. (Biebuyck 1976)