1971.6.McD Mask (lukwakongo)

This small bearded mask is the insignia of yananio, the last grade before reaching the pinnacle in the Lega’s governing Bwami association. Representing the ideal Lega man, it is not a conventional face mask but may be worn on other parts of the body, simply held in one’s hands, or displayed on the ground, a mat, or a fence. Lukwakongo literally means “death gathers in,” a reference to the portrayal and importance of the ancestors. Before the presentation to the initiate who will be its new owner, the mask is placed on an ancestral grave to express continuity of Bwami leadership from the past to the present.

Roslyn A. Walker, Label text, Arts of Africa, 2015.

n.d.: Walschot Collection, Brussels

1971: Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, purchased from above [1] [2]

Notes:

The main source for this provenance is the object card in the Collections Records object file (1971.6.McD).

[1] The name of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, founded in 1933, was changed to the Dallas Museum of Art in 1983.

[2] Works of art given or purchased by The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc., a non-profit organization, are placed in the custody of the DMA for the purpose of public display on the premises of the Museum or in other recognized art galleries or museums. The title to all works of art purchased (or otherwise acquired) by the McDermott Art Fun remains with the Fund.

Apply to objects where number equals 1971.6.McD