A finely carved Lega mask (Idimu) with a beard and handle on the back side of the mask
Custom made metal stand.
From the Bwami secret society.
Provenance: Dr Nerhich collection, Germany.
Mid XXth century.
The mask itself is 16 cm high and 33 cm on the included metal stand. The mask with the beard measure 48cm.
Bwami doctrine is represented by wood and ivory masks, heads, and small figures, all of which play a vital role during initiation into the society's highest grades. Although simple in form, these carved objects embody complex and multiple meanings, elaborated through proverbs, skits, and dances. The masks refer to ancestors and are passed from one generation of initiates to the next as symbols of continuity. For the Lega, physical beauty and moral excellence are inseparable.
The "idimu" ornament is hung from a fence, surrounded by the smaller, personally owned "lukwakongo" masks.
- Object
- Mask
- Indigenous object name
- Idimu
- Ethnic group/ culture
- Lega
- Region/ country
- Congo
- Material
- Wood
- Period
- Mid 20th century
- Condition
- Excellent
- Sold with stand
- Yes
- Dimensions
- 16×13×8 cm