Superbe masque, Léga, République Démocratique du Congo

Ancienne collects ion Joseph Herman, Suffolk

Very good condition overall. Wear consistent with age and use within the culture. Superficial losses in the deep kaolin (above left eye) as visible on the catalogue illustration.
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NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Selon le plus grand art Léga, le visage oppose au minimalisme des traits la monumentalité de sa sculpture.

A la dimension – remarquable – s'ajoute l'épaisseur du front et de la bouche, inscrivant avec force dans l'espace les contours de la face « en cœur ». S'impose dès lors l'intense présence du visage, accentuée par la densité et la profondeur des cercles ponctuant le front, les encoches irrégulières lacérant les lèvres (signifiant les dents), l'asymétrie de la face (une seule oreille représentée) et les nuances picturales de la profonde patine caramel blanchie au kaolin. Il a conservé sa longue et dense barbe en fibres végétales luzelu.

cf. Cornet (1978 : 332, n° 186) pour un masque stylistiquement comparable dans la collects ion Bronson.  

Contrairement aux petits masques lukwakongo – dont ils partagent les caractéristiques stylistiques et morphologiques – les masques idumu sont exclusivement réservés au grade suprême de l'association du Bwami. Selon Biebuyck (1994 : 53), ils sont inclus dans les paniers collects ifs de ces grades et parfois portés sur le visage ou à l'arrière de la tête.

Au corpus restreint s'ajoute ici l'exceptionnelle monumentalité du masque - alliant puissance et abstraction minimaliste -, faisant de lui l'un des chefs-d'œuvre du type.

 

A superb Lega mask, Democratic Republic of the Congo

In the greatest Lega art, minimalist features contrast with a monumental carving style.

In addition to its remarkable size, the thickness of the face and the projection of the mouth imbue the heart-shaped face with considerable spatial power. The mask's great presence is accenuated by the density and the depth of the circles which punctuate the face, the irregular notches which score the lips, indicating the teeth, the asymmetry of the face (only one ear is represented), and the deep caramel patina, which has been whitened with kaolin. The mask has also retained its long and dense luzelu vegetable fibre beard.

Cf. Coronet (1978:332, no. 186) for an iconographically similar mask from the Lee Bronson collects ion.

Although they share certain stylistic and morphological characteristics with the small lukwakongo masks, idimu, masks are reserved exclusively for the highest rank of the Bwami association. According to Biebuyck (1994:53), idimu masks were stored in the collects ive baskets of this grade, and were worn either on the face or on the back of the head.

Within the small corpus of idimu masks, the exceptional monumentality of the offered example, which combines power and minimalist abstraction, marks it out as a masterpiece of its type.