Ofika hanged figure of the Lilwa - Mbole - Congo - SOLD
Mbole are a small-scale society governed primarily by a men's voluntary association known as Lilwa. Lilwa initiates young boys secluded in the bush, and instills in them a respect for the authority of their elders, and of Lilwa, through strenuous tests of courage, and through the use of art. The Ofika figure represents a person who was hanged for going against Lilwa's rules--so it is meant to suggest to the boys what will happen if they disobey.
00087
Data sheet
- Presumed dating
- Circa 1960
- Size
- Ethnic group
- Material(s)
- Wood
- Country
- Origin
- Tribal art collection Belgium
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Mbole are a small-scale society governed primarily by a men's voluntary association known as Lilwa. Lilwa initiates young boys secluded in the bush, and instills in them a respect for the authority of their elders, and of Lilwa, through strenuous tests of courage, and through the use of art. The Ofika figure represents a person who was hanged for going against Lilwa's rules--so it is meant to suggest to the boys what will happen if they disobey.