Kayamba Mask – Wood – Lega – Congo

Wooden Bwami Kayanda mask from the Lega tribe of DR Congo . In most case, only accomplished teachers in the Bwami Society own Kayamba masks which are easily identified by the horns on top of the mask. Lega masks are used as initiation objects in the Bwami Society. Masks into five types according to material, size, and form: Lukwakongo, Kayamba, Idimu, Muminia, and Lukungu (Biebuyck, 1973: 164). They serve as an important mark of rank, identifying the owners as members of specific Bwami levels (Biebuyck, 1986: 125-26). Unlike many masks in other African cultures, the masks of the Lega are not usually worn over the face, they are attached to the body, held in the hand or simply hung on fences during the initiation ceremonies of the Bwami society.

Provenance: former private collection from Germany.