Mask - Lega - DR Congo
08
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€ 1
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Selected by Dimitri André
Holds a postgraduate degree in African studies and 15 years experience in African art.
Estimate € 150 - € 200
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Wooden mask from the Lega people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with dimensions 205 × 150 × 50 mm, in good condition and not supplied with a stand.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Congo RDC
Lega
Wood
Height: 205mm
Width: 150mm
Depth: 50mm
Minor defects on the back, see photos.
Among the Lega (also called Rega or Warega), the Bwami society presides over all social life of the tribe. The society has, depending on the region, seven ranks or levels for men and three ranks for women.
Crossing a level or rank required a series of initiation tests, gifts, and payments settled by the lineage.
While the small pocket wooden masks "Lukwakongo" serve as "passports" for members of the Bwami society, the large facial masks, such as the "Idimu" type, are reserved exclusively for men of the two highest ranks (Yananio and Kindi). They wear such masks during initiation rituals or important instructions.
Unlike many masks from other cultures or African ethnic groups, the masks of the Lega ethnic group were generally not worn on the face; they were not intended to cover the face. Instead, they were placed on the temples, the forehead, at the back of the head, or simply hung from belts during the Bwami society initiation ceremonies. They could also be attached around the arm or held in hand. This type of mask is a symbol of the level of initiation reached by its possessor.
Items are sent with insurance and tracking number.
Packages are shipped from Monday to Saturday. Delivery in France takes 1 to 3 days via Chronopost, and between 2 and 5 days across the European Union. Delivery to the rest of Europe and worldwide is handled by Colissimo International.
We speak English.
Seller's Story
Passionate about the Arts of the World and more particularly by African Art, buys from collectors, former civil servants, soldiers, health personnel, public works personnel who have worked in Africa and also in Ivory Coast with antique dealers and touts who travel all over West Africa to find quality objects.
Translated by Google TranslateCongo RDC
Lega
Wood
Height: 205mm
Width: 150mm
Depth: 50mm
Minor defects on the back, see photos.
Among the Lega (also called Rega or Warega), the Bwami society presides over all social life of the tribe. The society has, depending on the region, seven ranks or levels for men and three ranks for women.
Crossing a level or rank required a series of initiation tests, gifts, and payments settled by the lineage.
While the small pocket wooden masks "Lukwakongo" serve as "passports" for members of the Bwami society, the large facial masks, such as the "Idimu" type, are reserved exclusively for men of the two highest ranks (Yananio and Kindi). They wear such masks during initiation rituals or important instructions.
Unlike many masks from other cultures or African ethnic groups, the masks of the Lega ethnic group were generally not worn on the face; they were not intended to cover the face. Instead, they were placed on the temples, the forehead, at the back of the head, or simply hung from belts during the Bwami society initiation ceremonies. They could also be attached around the arm or held in hand. This type of mask is a symbol of the level of initiation reached by its possessor.
Items are sent with insurance and tracking number.
Packages are shipped from Monday to Saturday. Delivery in France takes 1 to 3 days via Chronopost, and between 2 and 5 days across the European Union. Delivery to the rest of Europe and worldwide is handled by Colissimo International.
We speak English.
Seller's Story
Passionate about the Arts of the World and more particularly by African Art, buys from collectors, former civil servants, soldiers, health personnel, public works personnel who have worked in Africa and also in Ivory Coast with antique dealers and touts who travel all over West Africa to find quality objects.
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Indigenous object name
Mask
Ethnic group/ culture
Lega
Country of Origin
DR Congo
Material
Wood
Sold with stand
No
Condition
Fair condition
Sold by
