African Arts Gallery

In African art, this female statuette from the Lega, bearing a mask motif on the abdomen, was intended for an initiate of the < b>Bwami . It was part of a set used throughout the initiations. The teacher guided the aspiring lega to a place where African lega 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 these objects, real metaphors largely referring to proverbs and sayings. Grainy semi-satin patina.
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 17th century, the Lega settled on the west bank of the Lualaba River in the DRC. The role of chief, kindi, is held by the oldest man in the clan, who must be the highest ranking. Social recognition and authority also had to be earned individually: the chief owed his selection to his heart (mutima), good character, intelligence, and irreproachable behavior.