Mask "idimu"
D. R. Congo, Lega
sold
EUR 8,500
Provenance
Mrs. Orsinger (1991)collected in situ 1936 by her father; he got it from Pene Misenga, the District Chief of Schabunda in the Maniema region.
Eduard Hess, Basel, Switzerland
Size
H: 27 cm
H: 10.6 inch
Description
wood, dyed with kaolin, now darkened, remains of dark brown accents, punched scarification marks, notches around the mouth, grassfibre beard, slightly dam., missing part at the left rim, crack;
Lega masks fall into the category of “bwami” initiation objects. There are five different types: “lukwakongo”, “kayamba”, “idimu”, “muminia”, and “lukungu”. They serve as an important marks of rank, identifying the owners as members of specific “bwami” levels. The “idimu” mask is owned collectively and is kept by an appropriate member of “yananio” or “kindi”. In a major performance , the “idimu” mask is hung from a fence surrounded by the smaller, individually owned “lukwakongo” masks.