Product Description
Mask Lega Bwami – Congo
This Lega (also known as Warega) mask originates from the Bwami tribe in Congo. A well-carved example of Lega wooden face mask. This face is enhanced by the eyebrows exceptionally carved in relief. The long and fine nose, as well as the open eyes and mouth, are carved according to the Lega style.
Made of 100% light hand-carved cane wood, fiber, and pigments.
Model is W 31 – H 20 and weight 0.8 kg.
Description
A well-carved example of Lega wooden face mask. This face is enhanced by the eyebrows exceptionally carved in relief. The long and fine nose, as well as the open eyes and mouth, are carved according to the Lega style. The surfaces of the masks are rubbed with kaolin/pembe each time they are used, and thus acquire their striking white appearance. Though fairly common, Lega masks continue to be incredibly popular with collectors.
Lega masks were substitutes for deceased ancestors and enabled the latter to participate in bwami rituals. However, Lega masks did not represent specific individuals but rather idealized ancestors. Despite the significance of masks within bwami, it is important to note that masks – like all Lega ritual paraphenalia – were considered to have inherent power (magala). Magala could be activated in the context of bwami, making the object a masango, which translates as “heavy thing.” The use in bwami rites added a “weight” (i.e., a ritual significance) to the objects used and made them powerful also outside of the context of bwami. For this reason, masks were also used in funerary rituals, where, upon the death of a high-ranking individual, a fence would be built around the grave on which masks would be hung.
The Lega (also known as the Warega) inhabit the equatorial rainforest of the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and are unified by a largely uniform language and culture. At the center of traditional Lega society stood the bwami association, a closed organization with graded membership and complex initiation rites that imposed a high moral and philosophical code. Bwami enforced a rigid hierarchy, and induction to higher levels could only be accomplished through strictly regulated initiation rituals. Such rituals were accompanied by various paraphernalia which was made of wood, magical substances or ivory. The Lega believed that the Bwami association builds the bridge between the living and the departed.
Additional information
Weight | 0.8 kg |
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Dimensions | 31 × 20 cm |
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