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Lot 95
Lega Maskette for the Bwami Society, Democratic Republic of the Congo
13 November 2018, 11:00 EST
New YorkSold for US$25,000 inc. premium
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Lega Maskette for the Bwami Society, Democratic Republic of the Congo
lukwakongo
height 5 1/2in (14cm)
Provenance
Gaston de Havenon, New York
Quay-Lombrail, Paris, June 30, 1994, Lot 52
Lance Entwistle, London and Paris
American Private Collection, acquired in 1994
Published
Robbins, Warren, African Art: The de Havenon Collection, Washington, D.C., Museum of African Art, 1971, no. 243
Exhibited
Washington, D.C, Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, African Art: The de Havenon Collection, May 1971
As noted by Elizabeth Cameron, 'The genius of the Lega artist lies in taking the needs of the Bwami patron and producing a unique artwork that fits carefully within the canon. Each mask, for example, is unmistakably Lega in style and carefully fits within the confines of Bwami, but when placed with others, its uniqueness can be seen by the critic from an artistic point of view. When connoisseurs try to define Lega style, however, they find it almost impossible. The forehead bulges, except when it is flat; human faces, especially those depicted as masks, are heart-shaped, except when they are not. As aptly summarized by Ralph Altman, "Balega art . . .consists mainly of an infinite number of variations of a few motifs and forms of sculpture."' (Art of the Lega, UCLA Fowler Museum, 2001, p. 67)
Daniel Biebuyck notes, "All Lega carvings are made for the Bwami [the central, all-pervading, unifying institution in Lega society], used, owned and understood only by the higher membership. [. . .] In the final initiation rite of the highest order, the artworks are no longer interpreted; they are seen as a revelation, inspiring pure contemplation." (La Sculpture des Lega, Galerie Hélène and Philippe Leloup, Paris/New York, 1994, p. 42)
height 5 1/2in (14cm)
Provenance
Gaston de Havenon, New York
Quay-Lombrail, Paris, June 30, 1994, Lot 52
Lance Entwistle, London and Paris
American Private Collection, acquired in 1994
Published
Robbins, Warren, African Art: The de Havenon Collection, Washington, D.C., Museum of African Art, 1971, no. 243
Exhibited
Washington, D.C, Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, African Art: The de Havenon Collection, May 1971
As noted by Elizabeth Cameron, 'The genius of the Lega artist lies in taking the needs of the Bwami patron and producing a unique artwork that fits carefully within the canon. Each mask, for example, is unmistakably Lega in style and carefully fits within the confines of Bwami, but when placed with others, its uniqueness can be seen by the critic from an artistic point of view. When connoisseurs try to define Lega style, however, they find it almost impossible. The forehead bulges, except when it is flat; human faces, especially those depicted as masks, are heart-shaped, except when they are not. As aptly summarized by Ralph Altman, "Balega art . . .consists mainly of an infinite number of variations of a few motifs and forms of sculpture."' (Art of the Lega, UCLA Fowler Museum, 2001, p. 67)
Daniel Biebuyck notes, "All Lega carvings are made for the Bwami [the central, all-pervading, unifying institution in Lega society], used, owned and understood only by the higher membership. [. . .] In the final initiation rite of the highest order, the artworks are no longer interpreted; they are seen as a revelation, inspiring pure contemplation." (La Sculpture des Lega, Galerie Hélène and Philippe Leloup, Paris/New York, 1994, p. 42)
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