Bembe Mask, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Mathias Komor, New York (inv. no. D 415)

Acquired by the present owner from the above on April 9, 1970

Although acquired in 1970 from Mathias Komor as “Warega”, or Lega, we believe the origin of this old mask probably lies with their neighbours, the Bembe. The Bembe have several Lega-derived traditions, amongst which is the bwami association, which exists in a more attenuated form amongst the Bembe, for whom it is a strictly male preserve. As with the Lega, the Bembe use masks in the context of a man’s initiation into the various grades of bwami. A mask of similar form, also identified as Bembe, is published in Christopher D. Roy (Carl Haenlein, ed.), Kilengi: Afrikanische Kunst aus der Sammlung Bareiss, Munich, 1998, p. 259, cat. no. 160 (illustrated), and p. 394, cat. no. 160 (discussed).