Lega Idimu mask
Beauty in African art
This remarkable African wooden mask whose face is entirely covered with kaolin (white pigment) came out during the initiation rites of the bwami among the Lega. It is a traditional idimu type mask which was the property of the two highest grades of the bwami: lutumbo lwa yananio and lutumbo lwa kindi.
The mask here has a rather particular typology in African Lega art: the face is relatively circular in shape compared to other more oblong masks, and especially small ears are brought back to the face. The central part of the face is also heart-shaped, which is reminiscent of the pipibudzè masks of the Kwele people located in Gabon.
This antique mask comes from the beautiful J.A. Gibb (Illinois) collection of objects from the Congo dating from the mid-1950s.
Cf. Ivory Treasures: The Art of the Lega of Central Africa
Cf. Lega: ethics and beauty in the heart of Africa
01637
Data sheet
- Size
- 22 cm
- Ethnic group
- Material(s)
- Wood, kaolin
- Country
- Condition
- Excellent
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Beauty in African art
This remarkable African wooden mask whose face is entirely covered with kaolin (white pigment) came out during the initiation rites of the bwami among the Lega. It is a traditional idimu type mask which was the property of the two highest grades of the bwami: lutumbo lwa yananio and lutumbo lwa kindi.
The mask here has a rather particular typology in African Lega art: the face is relatively circular in shape compared to other more oblong masks, and especially small ears are brought back to the face. The central part of the face is also heart-shaped, which is reminiscent of the pipibudzè masks of the Kwele people located in Gabon.
This antique mask comes from the beautiful J.A. Gibb (Illinois) collection of objects from the Congo dating from the mid-1950s.
Cf. Ivory Treasures: The Art of the Lega of Central Africa
Cf. Lega: ethics and beauty in the heart of Africa