D.R.Congo

Wood, kaolin, and rattan
17 cm
With a handle on the back

Provenance:
Private collection, Belgium

In La sculpture des Lega*, Daniel Biebuyck describes the wooden lukwakongo maskettes as the Lega sculptures that come closest to the classical concave, heart-shaped facial style traditionally associated with Lega art. Linked to the highest levels of the Bwami society, notably the lutumbo lwa yananio grade, these small maskettes were shown during initiation rites and occupied an important place within the symbolic and performative world of Lega associations.
The present example displays the distinctive heart-shaped physiognomy and retains a vertically carved handle on the reverse, a less common variant replacing the suspension cord more frequently encountered on such maskettes. According to Biebuyck, these handles allowed the object to be carried, suspended or manipulated during ritual performances and initiations. Complemented by a fibre beard and these masks were periodically refreshed with white clay during ceremonial use. The present mask still preserves layers of white kaolin, testifying to its repeated ritual use and age.

*Ed. Hélène & Philippe Leloup, Paris/ New York 1994, p.139