A Superb Lega Figure, Democratic Republic of the Congo

New York, The Musem of Modern Art, "Primitivism" in 20th Century Art, September 19, 1984 - January 15, 1985
New York, The Museum for African Art, Secrecy: African Art that Conceals and Reveals, February 13 - August 22, 1993 (for additional venues see bibliography, Nooter 1993)

William Rubin (ed.), “Primitivism” in 20^th Century Art, Affinity of the Tribal and the Modern, 1984, p. 365
Warren M. Robbins and Nancy Ingram Nooter, African Art in American Collections, 1989, p. 483, fig. 1240
Mary H. Nooter, Secrecy: African Art that Conceals and Reveals, Munich, 1993, p. 151, cat. 73
David Deroche, "Monumental Miniatures: The Saul and Marsha Stanoff Collection," Tribal Art, 32, Autumn 2003, p. 63, fig. 5

For an example most likely by the same hand, from the Pierre Dartevelle Collection, see Biebuyck (1973: pl. 72); also: Fagg and Plass (1964: 38); Beaulieux (2000: fig. 171). According to Biebuyck (1973: text to pl. 72), this type of zigzag figure is called nkumba. The object is worn on top of the head by high-level bwami woman.

This Lega figure with the zigzag body is arguably the most widely known work of African art in the Stanoff Collection. In an interview in 2003, Saul Stanoff recalled (Steven G. Alpert, "Conversations with Saul," Tribal Art, 32, Autumn 2003, p. 63): "One day John Friede called me. He had decided to concentrate on collecting New Guinea material and in passing mentioned a small African piece that he thought reflected my taste. When I finally saw the piece, well, it just blew my mind. This Lega has everything going for it down to the smallest details. Look at that face, the way the eyelids droop and the expression of the mouth. Is this a seer? Is it someone telling us important information? Look at that vertical line running down the entire back and the way the shoulders are thrown back from the head."