210941- Tribal used African mask from the Lega Bwami Congo

  
Congo: Tribal used African mask from the Lega Bwami. This type of mask is used in context of initiation.

Hand carved from a single piece of colorful painted wood. Size; 40 cm included raffia and 23 cm only the wooden mask.

The Lega people (or Warega) are a Bantu ethnic group of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 1998 their population was about 250,000. By the 1970s Lega people were mostly living in the middle and upper Elila valley and the upper Ulindi River valley. These rivers both rise in the east of South Kivu and flow in a northwesterly direction through Maniema, joining the Lualaba downstream from Kindu. The upper Ulindi valley has a richly diverse fauna, including many monkey species, chimpanzees, leopards, buffaloes, elephants and antelopes.

The valley is administratively divided into the Mwenga and Shabunda territories of South Kivu Province and the Pangi Territory of Maniema Province. Bwami masks and figures are symbols of the owner's rank within the Bwami society. The objects represent moral or social values, and are used during initiation rites.

The Bwami works of art are often associated with proverbs, and these proverbs in conjunction with dance, poetry and song give wisdom to members of the society. Beauty, knowledge and power are intertwined. Some artwork can only be seen, handled or owned by the highest grades of the society. The objects are typically small and simple in form, and have a striking patina that derives from being handled or worn on the body.

Objects usually have russet or yellow patinas. The masks are fairly standardized, although the most important masks with special ritual use or symbolic meaning may have distinctive design. A typical mask will have a concave heart-shaped face.

The forehead protrudes slightly, the nose is narrow, eyes are slits and the mouth is slightly open. Every time a mask is used it is rubbed with white clay, over time acquiring a white patina. Our Africa-gallery specialized in Ethiopian tribal art, collected and sell tribal used art from all over Africa and special from Ethiopia. Our Gallery have a collection of authentic, original and traditional art from Africa. This collection including masks, statues, pottery, musical instruments, manuscripts, headrests and other antique, primitive art and various unusual items. All my items that I sell are old and (tribal) used.

This site gives you an impression of our stock and activities. Authentic, museum quality African tribal art at wholesale prices. We strive to provide deeper public appreciation for high quality African art and to make it accessible to all collectors. High quality masks, carvings, statues, fetishes, animal figures, ritual objects and bronzes displayed here will add beauty to any home and value to any collection.

In addition, an ever-growing demand for rapidly disappearing original African tribal art makes it a sound investment. As long-time experienced collectors, we carefully select and authenticate every artifact. Shown here are original, high quality, hand-crafted pieces made of wood or bronze which can be yours at a fraction of gallery prices! Years of traditional use added distinction to many of them.

We guarantee the authenticity of every item and your complete satisfaction. We make every effort to research and document the history of each artifact. In our gallery you will find a nice selection of our stock. If you find something that is not on the site, let us know. We always have a large stock of items that are not on our site. Please let us know if you do not see items you want.

We may be able to find them for you. No hassles, no questions asked. We are usually able to respond within 24 hours.

Thank you for visiting our site! This item is in the category "Antiques\Ethnographic\African\Sculptures & Statues". The seller is "africa-gallery" and is located in this country: NL.

• Tribe: Lega
• Maker: Lega people
• Material: Wood
• Original/Reproduction: Original