Lega
Figurative Bust of the Bwami Society (Iginga)
Lega, early-20th century
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Lega
Figurative Bust of the Bwami Society (Iginga)
Lega, early-20th century
Physical Qualities
Ivory, 3 1/2 x 1 1/2 in. (8.9 x 3.8 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Alan Wurtzburger
Object Number
1954.145.97
There is something unsettling about these figures. Although they mimic the human form, their lack of facial features marks them as not of this world. And indeed, they aren’t. Each of these works was meant to carry the spirit of a deceased or yet-to-beborn human.
"Subverting Beauty: African Anti-Aesthetics", Jul 15, 2018 - Nov 17, 2019, BMA, Kevin Tervala.
