Description : Lengola Figure
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Lengola live on the banks of the Congo River and construct their lives around a semi-secret society known as Bukota. This society exercises social control over Lengola life is responsible for punishing malefactors and witches and initiating boys into adult society.
This wonderfully carved figure is an ancestor figure and was used in various ceremonies including at the funeral of Bukota dignitaries and during the rites of circumcision and initiation. It shows some influence from their Lega neighbors, from whom they have taken the heart-shaped face. It is an extraordinary example by the Lengola carver depicting the male form in an abstract interpretation. The face is particularly exciting with its elongated and highly abstract shape.
This well-carved sculpture with good age shows a slender male figure with raised arms and legs stretched out. The very stylized face shows red and white colors like the Mbole figures, while all other parts of the body are speckled with white. These figures were used during rituals for social stability, warding off illnesses, or representing spirits during circumcision rituals.
Compare: “The Tribal Arts of Africa” by Jean-Baptiste Bacquart, p. 146, “African Art in American Collections”, p. 491
H: 196 cm (approx. 6’ 5”)
Estimated age: End of the 19th century or early 20th century
Provenance: Old collection of the Xaverian missionary Father Luigi Giavazzi, who lived in Burundi and the Congo (Kivu Region) before 1967
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