Bwami Society Mask

Origin: Lega Tribe, D.R. Congo
Composition: wood, pigment stain

This subtle and powerful mask is illustrative of a very famous and highly valued image in African art. Masks such as this are often danced as part of Bwami society initiations for young men and are often employed to depict a Lega proverb, as many Bwami masks are intended to depict proverbs and teach lessons. The ladder-linear scarification down the nose is representative of scarification practiced throughout Lega societies.

After their exodus from Uganda in the 17th century, the Lega tribespeople eventually settled on the west bank of the Lualaba River in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire). Known also as the Warega, the 200,000 people who constitute the Lega tribe live in autonomous villages, collectively situated at the summit of a hill surrounded by a palisade. The position of chief, referred to as the Kindi, is held by the oldest member of the clan who must also hold the highest grade within the Bwami society.

The function of the Bwami, which is open to both men and women, is to regulate the social and political life of the Lega. Progression through the seven male and four female grades is made possible by the giving of presents and the participation in initiations. Division of labor is gender based and akin to the economic patterns of other tribes living in a forest environment: men hunt and clear new land and women cultivate manioc. (Passage from Tribal Arts of Africa)