Zemanek-Münster

Miniature mask "lukungu"

D. R. Congo, Lega
sold EUR 1,200
Provenance
Peter Biesmans, Bilzen, Belgium
Size
H: 4,5 cm
H: 1.8 inch

Description

ivory, honey brown patina, flatted chin and forehead area, circular decorations, drilled hole on each side, min. dam., slight traces of abrasion;
“lukungu” masks belong to members of “bwami”- society who already have reached the highest rank of kindi. “Lukungu” means “skull” and should be a hint that the mask is thought to remind of deceased “kindi” members. At initiation ceremonies they were oiled and then displayed on a kind of fence or attached to bigger “muminia” or “idimu” masks.


Comparing literature

Biebuyck, Daniel P., Lega, Brussels 2002, p. 93, ill. 37

Subscribe to our newsletter

Join over 10,000 tribal art collectors. Don't miss out on upcoming news and auctions.

Subscribe today