Mask "lukwakongo" · D. R. Congo, Lega · ID: 3038079
not available anymore
Provenance
Jean-Pierre Lepage, Brussels, Belgium (1973)Eduard Hess, Oberwil, Switzerland (1991)
Size
H: 24,5 cm
H: 9.6 inch
Description
wood, middle brown patina, remains of kaolin, plant fibre beard, min. dam., small missing parts, slight traces of abrasion;
Lega masks are marks of rank within the different levels of initiation in the “bwami” society. There are five different mask types: “lukwakongo”, “kayamba”, “idimu”, “muminia”, and “lukungu”. Young men received the “lukwakongo” masks during the “yananio” rites. These masks were the most important insignia of rank until the owner moved to the higher level of “kindi” and trades his wooden mask for an ivory one, called “lukungu”.