Bwami Mask - Lega People - D.R. Congo -SOLD

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The approximately 150,000 Lega live in autonomous villages in the forests of the eastern Congo. Their principal industries are fishing, farming & hunting. all Lega art is connected with their primary secret society, the "BWAMI" association, which regulates the social & political life of the tribe. The Bwami is divided into levels, and to pass to the next stage, a series of initiations are needed; after one has attained a certain wisdom and acquires a personal moral sence. This society has a hierarchy of ranks, each one distinguished from the others by art objects, including masks and statuettes. The Bwami hierarchy consists of five ranks for men. Circumcision is an indispensable process that allows entrance into the Bwami. Their masks are heart shaped with concave faces that feature a delicate mouth and eyes shaped like cowrie shells. White pigments are applied to the masks. Their masks are rarely worn on the face. They are attached to different parts of the body, hung on fences, held in the hand, or worn over the forehead with the beard draping over the face. The Lega recognize five different masks, each corresponding to a specific rank and identifying the owners as members of specific Bwami levels. The masks are used during initiation ceremonies. 28"H x 11"W x 6"D