Lega masks Democratic Republic of the Congo |
I currently do not have any Lega objects in my collection. The objects on this page are not mine and are for reference purposes only. |
Lega masks Lega masks are used as initiation objects in the Bwami society. Masks into five types according to material, size, and form: lukwakongo, kayam-ba, idimu, muminia, and lukungu (Biebuyck 1973,164). They serve as an important mark of rank, identifying the owners as members of specific Bwami levels (Biebuyck 1986,125-26). Unlike many masks in other African cultures, the masks of the Lega are not usually worn over the face, they are attached to the body, held in the hand or simply hung on fences during the initiation ceremonies of the Bwami society. References: Art of the Lega |
EXAMPLES BELOW ARE NOT IN MY COLLECTION - THEY ARE FOR REFERENCE PURPOSES ONLY |
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Sotheby's African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian Art SALE N08199 AUCTION DATE 09 May 06 10:15 AM. LOCATION New York LOT 64 PROPERTY FROM A EUROPEAN PRIVATE COLLECTION A LEGA MASK Estimate 12,000—18,000 USD Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 22,800 USD DESCRIPTION lukwakongo, of elliptical form and pierced at the chin for attachment of the fiber beard beneath the straight nose leading to a raised brow framing the coffee-bean eyes; fine and varied light brown patina. PROVENANCE Galerie Leloup, Paris Acquired from Sotheby’s Paris, December 5, 2003, lot 158 LITERATURE AND REFERENCES Biebuyck 1994: 155, figure 56 |
Sotheby's African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian Art SALE N08095 AUCTION DATE 12 May 05 10:15 AM. LOCATION New York LOT 89 PROPERTY FROM AN AMERICAN PRIVATE COLLECTION A LEGA MASK Estimate 7,000—10,000 USD Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 15,600 USD MEASUREMENTS height 7 1/2 in. 19cm DESCRIPTION of oval form, pierced around the rim for attachment, the concave heart-shaped facial plane with a pierced mouth notched at the rim, beneath the pointed nose framed by coffee-bean eyes in low relief and incised circles at the forehead; fine aged and varied deep brown rim with areas of encrusted kaolin. PROVENANCE Bronson Collection, Los Angeles Acquired from Pace Gallery, New York, 1984 LITERATURE AND REFERENCES Cornet, A Survey of Zairian Art: The Bronson Collection, 1978: 339, figure 191, catalogue of the exhibition at the North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, April 23, 1978 - June 4, 1978 (see bibliography for additional venues). |
Sotheby's African & Oceanic Art SALE N08132 AUCTION DATE 11 Nov 05 10:15 AM. LOCATION New York LOT 109 PROPERTY FROM THE RAYMOND E. BRITT FAMILY COLLECTION A FINE LEGA MASK Estimate 12,000—18,000 USD Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 27,000 USD MEASUREMENTS height of mask 4 1/2 in. 11.4cm DESCRIPTION of diminutive form, the convex facial plane with abbreviated features and a carved handle at the reverse with a long raffia beard attached; fine aged surface with layers of kaolin. PROVENANCE George Stoecklin, France, November 1978 EXHIBITED Notre Dame, Indiana, Traditional African Sculpture from the Britt Family Collection, The Snite Museum of Art, University of Notre Dame, October 24 - December 19, 1982 |
Additional references: Art of the Lega is a fantastic reference book on the Lega |
Rand African Art home page Lega main page |