Figure féminine "mbulenga" ou "lupingu" ·  R. D. Congo, Lulua (Luluwa) · ID: 3049257

Description

wood, pokerwork,

These figures of particularly beautiful female form are used by a cult called “bwanga bwa bwimpe”, whose primary task is to promote female fertility and protect the health of newborns.

The term “bwimpe”, sometimes replaced by “(m)bulenga”, denotes physical beauty as a sign of moral integrity, combining the idea of beautiful and good.

For the Lulua, the ideal combination of physical beauty and moral virtue constitutes the best protection against sorcery.

Littérature comparée

Fagaly, William, Ancestors of Congo Square, New Orleans 2011, p. 326 f.