African Arts Gallery

Former Belgian collection of African art .
African mask testifying to the stage that its owner had reached within the Bwami, an apprenticeship society composed of different grades. Residues of kaolin and burgundy pigments. Erosions. Height including beard: 42 cm.br /> On the west bank of the Lualaba River, in the DRC, the Bwami society of the Lega, open to men and women, organized social and political life. There were up to seven levels of initiation, each associated with emblems. During ritual ceremonies, the Idumu masks were presented to the initiates placed on a barrier and surrounded by smaller masks. The teacher would lead the aspirant to a place where masks and statuettes were displayed, and it was through careful observation that the future initiate had to guess the more or less complex meaning of these metaphors, the latter largely referring to proverbs and sayings. Each of these initiations took place over seven days and included at least seven performances. The objects "won" individually were then kept in a woven bag carried on the shoulder, in a basket for those won collectively. (Art of the Lega, Cameron)