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Aix Enchères et Expertises
43
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Lega figure, Democratic Republic of the Congo, wood, kaolin,…
See original version (French)
43
-
Lega figure, Democratic Republic of the Congo, wood, kaolin,…
See original version (French)
Estimate €200 - €300
Voluntary lot
Description
Lega figure, Democratic Republic of the Congo, wood, kaolin, H. 31 cm × W. 7 cm (on a plinth). Compared to masks, wooden statuettes are relatively rare within the body of Léga art. Even rarer still are those which, as here, are armless, bringing to its zenith the symbolic conception of the body in the Léga world and the power of the formal solutions devised by their artists. According to Biebuyck (in Tervuren, 1995: 379), these statuettes were likely part of the communal collections reserved for initiation rites into the highest ranks of the Bwami association. Regarded as ‘sacred objects’ held in common, they were powerful expressions of solidarity and the maintenance of social cohesion. Each represented a figure, embodying during rituals the moral values conveyed by the Bwami.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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