African Tribal Art - Lega Mask

Private collection.

Stand included. Within Léga society, the Bwami, open to men and women, played a central role in the organization of social and political life. This society included up to seven levels of initiation, each associated with specific emblems. After migrating from Uganda in the 17th century, the Léga settled along the west bank of the Lualaba River in the Democratic Republic of Congo. During ritual ceremonies, Idumu masks were presented to initiates, placed on a barrier and surrounded by smaller masks. Under the guidance of the teacher, the aspirants were taken to a place where various masks and statuettes were displayed. They then had to carefully observe these objects in order to guess the more or less complex meaning of the metaphors they represented, often based on proverbs and sayings. Those who were not allowed to see these objects, for reasons of protection, had to undergo expensive ceremonies, or even join the lower grade of Bwami, called the kongabulumbu, which entailed significant expenses for the families. Each initiation lasted seven days and included at least seven performances. Objects "won" individually were then kept in a woven bag worn over the shoulder, while those obtained collectively were placed in a basket.

Item accompanied by its certificate of authenticity.
PS: what does the certificate of authenticity consist of? https://www.galerie-art-africain.com/faq.aspx?qid=8

PLEASE NOTE THE PRICE OF TRANSPORT INCLUDES LOSS, THEFT, BROKENAGE INSURANCE.