HCK 0610-6 SOLD 

Lega Judge, Iginga Katanda, DR Congo, Africa

H: 38 cm (15″),  W: 11 cm (4,3″)

This standing figure with his right arm raised is a figure used for trial. When the conviction is handed down, then this figure is shown as a symbol of ‘the judge has spoken’.

Masks and figures from the Lega tribe in the Congo, has long been admired for their simple and elegant forms. With their abstract qualities Lega carving have been a great source of inspiration for important modern artists such as Pablo Picasso, George Braque and Henri Matisse.

Lega art
The visual and the verbal arts of the Lega are used to teach men and women values essential to the continuation of their way of life. Lega arts are an integral part of the Bwami society, a multileveled association that provides political, religious, and social structure for the Lega. Each member strives to advance up through the various ranks of Bwami, a long process which involves challenges as well as proof of knowledge. Young men and women are initiated into the lowest level of Bwami when they take their places as adults in society. As they mature and demonstrate increasing promise, they ascend through the society’s higher levels.

Provenance: Private Belgian collection – collected around 1976.

Click here for more information about the Lega people

 

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