Lukwakongo Mask - Lega - DR Congo

This mask has a very elongated shape within the Lukwakongo. The face is heart-shaped, concave, encrusted with kaolin, divided by a long, narrow, and schematic nose; the almond-shaped, open eyes are located at different levels; the mouth, open, very expressive, is located well below the face, far from the nose, elliptical in shape with a pointed lower part; around the face, from the height of the nose, it has a long and wide beard made of banana palm fibers, called Luzelu, tied in holes around the jaw. The initiates of the second degree, the highest (Lutum- Bolwa Yananio) of the Bwami association, possess these masks called Lukwa-Kongo and use them in various ways (holding them in their hands, hanging them from their arms, under their chins, but never in front of their faces) during the initiation rites.

Provenance: Manuel Morte, Padres Blancos (missionaires)
Argiles collection, Barcelona