Lega Miniature Janus Face Custom Stand Congo African Art

Description

Title
Lega Miniature Janus Face Custom Stand Congo African Art
Type of Object
Carving, Figure, Statue, Sculpture
Country of Origin
Democratic Republic of Congo
People
Lega
Materials
Wood
Approximate Age
20th Century
Height (in)
10
Width (in)
2.75
Other Dimensions
Height: 10 Inches
Width: 2.75 Inches
Overall Condition
Fair
Damage/Repair
Cracks, chips and a well worn patina
Additional Information:
A standing Lega figure with a stylized body.
The surface shows some age.
Lega sculptures are usually carved in a highly distinctive style, with a heart-shaped concave face with a slightly bulging forehead, slit ‘coffee-bean’ eyes and an open narrow mouth.  Figures are many times covered completely in white clay called ‘pembe’ or simply as in this figure have the face highlighted through the use of coloring material.
Among the Lega people of the
Democratic Republic of Congo
carved wooden figures are used during ceremonies of the Bwami Society, an initiation, and instructional society that governs and advises on moral and ethical conduct.
The complex system of instruction, initiation, and advancement for both men and women in the Bwami society uses masks and figures to document the various levels of Bwami and to serve as badges validating the initiate’s knowledge of the secrets of Bwami and of their rank.
This appealing white faced figure with a marvelously abstracted body represents a major figure and perhaps a ‘judge’ among senior members of the Bwami Society.According to Cornet, "These figurines are often part of an initiation basket owned collectively by a clan, and used in the ritual display of objects in the LUTUMBO LWA KINDI rite.
**121401**
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