Idimu Mask - Lega People, D.R. Congo

Wood with a Kaolin clay wash.
Lega "masks" fall into the category of Bwami initiation objects. The Lega further divide them into five types according to material, size, and form: lukwakongo, kayam-ba, idimu, muminia, and lukungu (Biebuyck 1973,164). They serve as an important mark of rank, identifying the owners as members of specific Bwami levels. Contrary to the Lega mask categories based on form and material, most Western definitions of masks are based on function.

"Mask" describes an object that covers the face and transforms the wearer. Using this definition, the Lega have very few, if any, true masks. Most of what we know as Lega "masks" are sculptures of a human face that are rarely worn over the face and never for purposes of true transformation. Like many initiation objects, the Lega mask can be assigned different uses and meanings depending on the context of the performance. In Bwami ceremonies, masks are attached to different parts of the body, piled in stacks, hung on fences, displayed, dragged on the ground, & occasionally worn on the forehead with the beard draping over the face of the wearer.

Ex. James Willis & Ex. James Schmidt collection.
We have also enjoyed this piece in our own collection for many years, and are now making it available.

Height: 8 1/2” x Width: 6 3/4” x Depth: 2 3/8”