Standing hermaphrodite "iginga" of "bwami" society
Description
ivory, honey brown patina, dark pigment, triangular face, linear scarification marks on the body, cross-hatched marks on both sides of the face, slightly dam. (left foot);
except for ivory spoons, which are used at all levels of “bwami”, objects made of ivory are reserved for the top ranks. While all “bwami” members conceive of themselves als elephants “nzogu”, “kindi” members call themselves “owners of ivory” “nenemulamba” and claim the use of ivory, elephant bone, and other elephant parts in sculpture and dress as their prerogative. In “bwami” rites, the meanings assigned to elephants are dramatically enacted through pantomime and reference through the presence of ivory. Initiation into the highest level of “kindi” “lutumbo lwa kindi” ends with a ceremony called “skinning the elephant” - “ibago wa nzogu”. A wide gamut of objects called “masengo”, vehicles of transcendental powers, feature in “bwami” inititation ceremonies. Among the art objects that are “masengo”, are such small anthropomorphic figures like the present.
“Masengo” are manipulated in diverse ways during rituals, being arranged in configurations or held during dancing. The ivory may be rubbed with oil or perfume or else polished with sandpaper, producing a powder that may be used as a medicine. As with other “masengo”, the significance of these anthropomorphic ivory figures can only be judged through knowledge of their use in their original ritual context, which may change with the ritual in which they are employed. They may act as signifiers of rank, marks of identity or commemoration of ancestors. They also posses medicinal powers.