African Arts Gallery

Referring to animal qualities, this African statuette, forming the generic figure of a quadruped (mugugundu) from the Lega environment, belonged to a high-ranking Bwami.
Matt patina of kaolin. Missing, small erosions.

Following their exodus from Uganda in the 17th century, the Lega settled on the west bank of the Lualaba River in the DRC. Also known as Warega, these individuals live in autonomous villages surrounded by palisades, usually on top of hills. The role of the leader, kindi is held by the oldest man in the clan, who must be the highest ranking. As in other forest tribes, men hunt and clear land while women grow cassava. Bwami, a secret society that admitted men and their wives, governed social life. This organization was subdivided into initiatory stages, the highest being Kindi. Bwami has different degrees, with yananio and kindi being the highest. 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 associated with the sculptures, referring largely to proverbs and sayings. Each of these initiations took place over seven days and included at least seven performances. The items "won" individually were then kept in a woven bag carried on the shoulder, in a basket for those that were won collectively. Litt.: "Art of the Lega" E.L.Cameron