Democratic Republic of Congo

Used patina wood and pigments - Height 11.8 cm - Late 19th century, early 20th century.

This wooden mask is one of the ritual objects of the Bwami association. 

Bwami is a voluntary, hierarchical association composed of “known” and “recognized” men and women. In lega society, one is born a member of a kinship group but one becomes a member of Bwami by undergoing these rites that require long preparations, collective decisions and the consensus of other initiates. If membership in Bwami is not secret, the rites are largely secret and remain closed to non-members.”

Daniel P., Biebuyck - «La Sculpture des Lega», 1994.

The hierarchical structure of the Bwami includes a set of grades and levels, access to a grade or level for individual initiation. This type of mask, called lukwakongo, belonged to the members of the highest level of the higher rank and was exhibited by the holder of the rank before the new initiates, during the initiatory rites. These masks were generally fitted with a fibre beard (usually in raffia or sisal), called lunzelu. They could be hung from the shoulders, held in hands, tied to a barrier ..