African Arts Gallery

In African art, this anthropomorphic statuette of the Lega was intended for an initiate of the 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. Those who were not allowed to see the object, in order to be protected from it, had to submit to 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.
Velvety matte patina. Kaolin residue. Erosions.
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. Also called Warega, these individuals live in self-contained villages surrounded by palisades, usually on top of hills. The role of chief, 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 while women cultivate cassava. 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.