African Arts Gallery

A sculpted symbol illustrating a proverb, intended for an insider of the Bwami, this figure has a face akin to kayamba masks with horns. The protruding umbilical contributes to the special character of this bending statuette carried by wide feet.
Black Peeled, kaolin residue.
The teacher guided the aspirant to a place where masks and statuettes were exposed, and it was through careful observation that the future initiate had to guess the more or less complex meaning of these metaphors, the latter referring largely to proverbs and sayings. Those who were not allowed to see the object, in order to be protected, had to submit to costly ceremonies, and sometimes even join the lower rank of the Bwami, the kongabulumbu, at great expense to the families. Each of these initiations took place over seven days and featured at least seven performances. Items won individually were then kept in a woven bag worn over the shoulder, in a basket for those who were won collectively.