African Tribal Art - Lega Mask

Former Guy Mercier African art collection.

Among the Lega, the Bwami society, accessible to men and women, governed social and political life. It included up to seven levels of initiation, each symbolized by specific emblems. After their migration from Uganda in the 17th century, the Lega settled along the west bank of the Lualaba River in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Social recognition and authority were granted individually, based on the heart (mutima), character, intelligence and impeccable behavior of each individual. During ritual ceremonies, Idumu masks were presented to initiates, placed on a barrier and surrounded by smaller masks. These masks were used during the initiation rites of Bwami society, marking the transition to a higher level of learning and moral evolution.

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