African art: Traditional hand carved Lega Mask DR Congo - eBay, Other Antiques, Antiques. (end time 20-Dec-09 14:37:06 AEDST)

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Lukwakongo mask, Lega People, Democratic Republic of Congo

This is an unusual example of Lega Lukwakongo masks. It is in good condition, carved from a softwood and was collected in 2002.
It measures 21.5 x 16cm and can be supplied with the stand pictured.

The Balega, formerly known as the Warega, live to the north-west of Lake Tanganyika and dwell in small villages with no central structure of authority. Their social life is dominated by the Bwami society to which every man and woman belongs. This society is divided into five grades for men and three for women, the art of the Balega being produced to signify the passage of members from one grade to another.
Among the Lega, masks are used by the 2 senior grades of the Bwami association, Kindi and Yananio, to symbolise the attainment of higher levels of ethical teaching. Masks of wood are used by the Kindi as part of an ensemble of objects to illustrate concepts of Bwami ethics. Multi headed figures signify wisdom and impartiality. The great variety of Lega masks makes classification difficult.
Lukwakongo masks are owned by men who belong to the association's second highest grade of the Bwami, Lutumbo Lwa Yananio. Such masks indicate rank and are worn or displayed, during rituals, in a variety of ways including on the head, forehead, arm, shoulder or simply held in the hand. Like other objects of this kind, they are placed in a basket during ritual and given to a member of a society.
In essence, a mask symbolises a man's male ancestry; descriptions of a mask as "a semblance of man," "the skull of a dead one" or "the skull of my father" reveal its ancestral aspect. There are a host of other meanings relating to people, animals or concepts which these carvings can evoke (Biebuyck 1973:210-13, passing pls. 60-62).
Decorated with kaolin, the typical Lega mask has a concave white face which contrasts with a darker edge. The lines are very simple and emphasise the long bridge of the nose. The mouth is placed very low at the junction of the 2 facial planes. The eyes are carved at different levels, a characteristic common to Lega masks.
Much of the white kaolin coating has been worn away by handling. The whitened, depressed, heart shaped face represents the easternmost extension of this motif, found in many areas of the Equatorial Forest zone.

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Since its inception in 1989 Sidewalk Gallery has become a renowned Tribal Arts Gallery. Specialising in Antique & Traditional African Sculpture representing more than 85 separate cultures collected from 26 countries across Africa.

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Item location: Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

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