Congo. 1970 circa. Lwalwa spirit mask. 646 gr. - 37x22x12 cm. Lwalwa people are related to Lulua. Inhabiting the triangle formed by the Kasai River and its tributary, the Lweta, in the southwest of the former Kasai province, 20,000 Lwalwa live in DRC, but many more are in Angola. Their social and political organization is rudimentary. Each Lwalwa village is headed by a male or female chief, whose power is held in check by a powerful society, the bangongo. The Lwalwa believe in a supreme being, but they worship only the spirits of the hunt and nature. The land where the Lwalwa live is rich and fertile, lending itself well to the agricultural economy of the people. The women are almost wholly responsible for all that goes into the growing of crops, both for local consumption and for trade. The men do, however, lend a hand during the busy harvest time, so that they can evaluate their household intake for the season. Although hunting by the men provides some occasional supplementary protein, the women provide the majority of the nutritious intake. The hunt, sometimes individual and sometimes communal, still plays an important social role among the Lwalwa.