Origin: Lega (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Local name: Bwami

Dating:
MŻo/A/3582: 2nd half of the 20th century
MŻo/A/3583-3584: 1990s

Dimensions:
MŻo/A/3582: height 45.0 cm, width 17.5 cm, depth 25.0 cm
MŻo/A/3583: height 19.5 cm, width 10.5 cm, depth 8.0 cm
MŻo/A/3584: height 22.5 cm, width 10.0 cm, depth 7.0 cm

Material: wood

Techniques: carving

Acquired by:
MŻo/A/3582: Jacek Łapott, artisana, Douala (Cameroon), 2005.
MŻo/A/3583: Jacek Łapott, artisana, Foumbam (Cameroon), 2005
MŻo/A/3584: Jacek Łapott, artisana, Douala (Cameroon), 2005

Description:
In the second half of the 20th century, the Lega inhabited mainly the middle and upper parts of the Elila river valley and the upper part of the Ulindi river valley (tributaries of the Lualaba), South Kivu and Maniema provinces. The population is estimated at around 250,000 people. This territory is covered by a deep rainforest, in the east there are mountains rising to more than 1800 m above sea level, the climate is hot and humid.

The Lega traditionally live in small rural groups (segmental society) and have no central authority. A very important role is played by the secret society Bwami, which regulates social and political life.

The Lega people come from the area of today's Uganda and from there they began to migrate to their current seats in the 16th century. In the past, they were known as formidable warriors, they conquered the peoples whose territory they entered. The traditional economy is based on the exploitation of the tropical forest, they live by hunting and gathering. And nowadays they are also engaged in gold mining and work in iron ore mines.

Bwami artworks are often associated with proverbs, and these proverbs, when combined with dance, poetry and song, impart wisdom to members of society. Beauty, knowledge and power are interrelated. Works of art are usually small and simple in form, they have an original patina, which is the effect of touching or wearing it on the body. Masks are fairly standardized, although the most important masks with special ritual use or symbolic meaning may have a distinctive pattern. A typical mask has a heart-shaped concave face. The forehead is slightly convex, the nose is narrow, the eyes have slits, and the mouth is slightly open. The masks have traces of white clay [internet 1]. Examples include an elephant mask (MŻo/A/3582), anthropomorphic masks of lukwakongo (MŻo/A/3583) and idimu (kilega language, MŻo/A/3584).

Small masks called lukwakongo were not worn on the face but worn over the shoulder, in the hand, attached to a headgear, or in a group with similar masks. The lukwakongo mask is given to the initiate by his personal instructor during the ritual of the same name. It is used as an emblem of the initiate's new rank and symbolizes his connections with other members of the bwami association and with deceased former members [Biebuyck, Herreman 1999: 301].

Masks made in the style of idimu or bwami were used in initiation ceremonies at the five-level initiation of the bwami relationship. Most masks have raffia beards, a measure of their importance is their height. Larger masks are worn over the head, covering the face. Idim masks are not supposed to represent spirits or ancestors in any way, the bwami community gathers around them because historically this masks embody a common tradition and thus help to legitimize the principles, laws, and exchanges by which bwami association practices are organized [Biebuyck, Herreman 1999: 301]

Lega masks are very popular among collectors and tourists, they can be bought far from their place of origin. One of the reasons for this is the low level of security in DR Congo. It is easier for artisans to sell masks to markets in neighboring countries.

Bibligraphy:

Internet 1: https://www-gateway--africa-com.translate.goog/tribe/lega_tribe.html?_x_tr_sl=en&_x_tr_tl=pl&_x_tr_hl=pl&_x_tr_pto=sc,dostęp 19.04.2023

Bacquart Jean-Baptiste, 1998, L’Art tribal d’Afrique Noire, Paris: Editions Assouline.

Bacquart Jean-Baptiste, 2010, The Tribal Arts of Africa, London: Thames&Hudson.

Biebuyck Daniel, Frank Herreman, 1999, Central Africa, w: Phillips Tom (ed.) – Africa. The art of a continent, Munich-Berlin-London-New York: Prestel, pp. 231-325.

Hahner Iris, Maria Kecskési, László Vajda, 2007, African Masks. The Barbier-Mueller Collection, Munich-Berlin-London-New York: Prestel.

Perec-Nodzyńska Katarzyna, 2012, Kolekcja gwinejska Agnieszki Janarek. Mrs Agnieszka Janarek’s Guinea collection, [in:] Lucjan Buchalik, Katarzyna Podyma (ed.) Maska afrykańska między sacrum a profanum. African Mask – Between the Sacred and the Profane, Żory – Katowice: Muzeum Miejskie w Żorach – Muzeum Historii Katowic, pp. 111-129.

Edited by Lucjan Buchalik

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The purchase is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture, National Heritage and Sport as part of the National Institute of Museums and Collections' own program "Expansion of museum collections".