Lega masks history books

Masks into five types according to material, size, and form. These masks also served a spiritual purpose, guiding their owners towards. People used to wear the body mask along with a matching face mask. Circa late 19th century largescale lega ivory loxodonta africana masks are extremely rare and played an essential role within the institution of the bwami. Primitive lega african mask, nice patina, african art. Lega masks are used as initiation objects in the bwami society of the democratic republic of the congo. Proper nonfiction history books, not historical fiction, about any period, event, area or topic you like. Lega masks continue to be incredibly popular with collectors. Masks of the lega people of zaire betray both a seriously unhealthy collective unconscious and an almost pathologic interest in psychedelic substances. Masque lega lega mask, republique democratique du congo.

Initiates earn the privilege to wear and display masks which might be worn on their arms or faces or simply exposed on racks or on the ground. Several masks obtained from collections and ready for immediate display. African art tribal art double headed lega mask from. Ivory statuette, lega cm individual and exclusive property of the highestranking insiders of the association of bwami every ivory statuette iginga was in lega country inherited from a parent of the same grade, after being exposed on his grave. Gloria hatrick desperate to help his older brother will who has become paralyzed by a rare disease, pete uses tribal animal masks to communicate with will, allowing him to escape his useless body and embark on a. The heroine mara holdfast is fifteen years old during the time of story which would lend it toward being a young adult fantasy novel, but thats not. Most lega masks have raffia beards and symbolize the old age. While most were still trying to process the record price for the lega mask, two other exceptional lega objects were quickly sold. This is one of those novels that defies being classified, but its not the genre thats in question, its the age group. Selling for 103,500 it easily doubled its estimate and the auction had made a bright start. Modern stage theater appeared in europe in the 5th century bc in ancient greece.

These masks were associated with different kinds of rituals and ceremonies and were an integral part of the tribal culture. Lega masks, worn during bwami initiations, are usually characterized by a heartshaped, concave face. Most of lega masks are sculptures of a human face that are rarely worn over the face and never for purposes of. Art, initiation, and moral philosophy among a central african people. Book one and millions of other books are available for instant access. Generally these miniature masks, known as lukwakongo, have a heartshaped face framed by a line formed by the nose, the eyebrows, and the planes of the cheeks. Novica, the impact marketplace, features a unique wood mask collection handcrafted by talented artisans worldwide. The person who wears the mask is also considered to be in direct association with the masks spirit force and is consequently exposed to like personal danger of being affected by it. The art and history of the goalie mask by jim hynes and gary. Traditional african mask for the collector of the tribal, ethnic, and african arts. Lega mask with feathers bwami society congo african art. The history of african masks you may have never heard of. Unlike many masks in other african cultures, the masks of the lega are not usually worn over the face, they are attached to the body, held in the hand or simply hung on fences during the initiation ceremonies.

Antique african lega double face bwami initiation maskold. Masks are divided into five types according to material, size, and form. The 200 colorplates, illustrating such fas cinating examples as african ceremonial masks, the apollo 15 space helmet. Larger masks, such as this muminia mask, are worn on the face or top of the head. The lega face masks and anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures are iconic african sculpture. Perhaps one of the more intriguing is the preparation and creation of death masks, a. Lega medicine bag bwami society congo african art ebay.

The surfaces of the masks are rubbed with kaolinpembe each time they are used. In cultures in which burial customs are important, anthropomorphic masks have often been used in ceremonies associated with the dead and departing spirits. Nov 01, 2001 drawing upon diverse sources, including daniel p. The masks are most frequently used during initiation ceremonies. Jun 07, 2017 posts about african masks written by aplusafricanart. Hwang sunwon, now in his late seventies, has no peer among living korean writers. They serve as an important mark of rank, identifying the owners as. Masks is the first book in the masks of aygrima series by e.

The brummer gallerys record book mentions several purchases made by brummer. Masks are divided into five types according to the material, size, and form. I hope you will find it both educational and entertaining. All auctions until further notice will be online and phone bidding only. A brief history and cultural jamison rieger artist. All theater masks from that early period of history were lost to time because they were not created to be durable, and were often offered to the fire as offering to the gods at the end of the celebration. The dottedcircle motifs on many lega works represent body markings, which enhance both the carvings and the characters they depict. Two lega small masks democratic republic of the congo 12 and cm. Jan 16, 2017 african art tribal art double headed lega mask from democratic. The visage presented by my african terracotta workout buddies is totally nonjudgemental, and allows me to fall from lofty goals on occasion like the hot cross bun six pack vs the six pack abs i strive for. Complete with fullcolor reproductions of the art, each book in this deeply researched collection discusses the cultural traditions behind the art, how the art was made, the geography and resources of the area, and the lifestyles of the people. Art around the world introduces children to different cultures by examining the arts of each.

The lega further divide them into five types according to material, size, and form. See more ideas about african masks, african and african art. The rarity of idimu ivory masks can be attributed to the history of lega. It will always be the empty eyes that portray the face book mask. Exploring cultural traditions, lerner publications, 1998, isbn 9780822520788, s.

The direct, unadorned quality of the objects has often been interpreted as an expression of lega ethicshence the title of the exhibition. In the forests of the democratic republic of the congo art is created primarily for semisecret. The significance of lega masks and figures is almost impossible for outsiders to penetrate. A well known mask from the lega masks of the world. He is coeditor of the recently published twovolume book forms of wonderment. Lega mask with feathers bwami society congo african art rare. Mask history the ancient world according to the book maskmaking by carole sivin, the history of masks spans time as early as prehistory where cave wall images of humans sometimes showed humans wearing masks of animals. In a basic essence the concept of a mask is to allow someone to become someone else or represent somethingsomeone else. I have chosen to use african masks for this particular collection because they are the best known african works of art and also because they are symbolic of african culture and traditions. They are deliberately mysterious, their meaning only disclosed to adepts of the bwami society as they ascend.

I didnt mean this to be a list of pop history, but i think its too late now, so you might as well go ahead. They serve as an important mark of rank, identifying the owners as members of specific bwami levels. This hub gives a glimpse into african history and is also applicable to our daily lives. This is an original wood carved lega passport mask from the democratic republic of congo, central africa. The history and collections of the afrika museum, berg en dal. If you are a connoisseur of lega sculpture or just curious about it, then this is the book for you. Ancient origins articles related to mask in the sections of history, archaeology, human origins, unexplained, artifacts, ancient places and myths and legends. Im also posting another lega mask from the brooklyn museums. City of masks by daniel hecht nook book ebook barnes. Lega mask, diminutive form, the tapering facial plane with long raffia beard attached at the chin beneath a slit mouth, a long straight nose and coffee bean eyes painted black, beneath a domed brow, varied light brown patina with traces of kaolin on the face, pierced of either side of brow, mounted, mask ht. Just wellwritten, wellresearched, informative and interesting books for historians, history students and history enthusiasts. Miniature wooden masks constitute some of the most important insignia of the secondhighest grade of bwami. In contrast with most other african masks, which hide the. Carved wooden face mask from the lega peoples of congo, africa.

Great deals from africa direct in lega ebay stores. Austrian private collection the lega also known as warega or rega live in eastern part of the democratic republic of the congo. A history of masks is a book from the legend of zelda. Small masks lukwakongo are used for identification and worn on the body or are hung on a fence to represent children of the ancestors. The sale itself had started with a surrealist lega ivory figure of a head placed on a foot info, it even has its own blog. The lega people or warega are an ethnic group of the democratic republic of the congo. The lega people live near the northern end of lake tanganyika on the banks of the lualaba river in the drc. Lega masks are used in ceremonies from the secret society association called bwami, lega men where members from during there whole life. Lega masks lega masks are used as initiation objects in the bwami society. Although these masks look like some type of medieval torture device, they were actually worn for protection by british tank operators at the 1917 battle of cambrai in world war i one of the first major tank battles in history back then, tank engineering was in its infancy, and the vehicles werent nearly as formidable as they are today. The masks we hide behind focuses on those primarily literary characters that are hidden by a mask through secrets which come in the form of everything from true masks disguises, hiding in shadow, hiding from everyone, to send prayers to a deity, to creating alter egos, transforming, morphing, to even pretending to be a snake in the garden of good and evil. A copy of the book can be found at the royal hyrule library, and is situated near the home of the minish elder, librari, serving as a ladder of sorts leading to his home. Called idumu, they were the exclusive property of the highest ranking initiates and were placed under the autoritiy of the communitys elder.

Lega masks lega masks fall into the category of bwami initiation objects. Simple, abstract heart shape, double face mask, with the coffee bean eyes, long nose, white paint kaolin. Yellow or russet patinas were greatly favored for ivory figurines and masks, whereas wooden masks were frequently whitened with kaolin. Masks of the lega people of zaire betray both a seriously unhealthy collective. These masks are symbols of the owners rank within the society and represent moral or social values. Why craft, tribes, tribe rather figures, but ritual objects. This essential characteristic of hiding and revealing personalities or moods is common to all masks. Masks is the first novel in the dystopian fantasy masks of aygrima series cataclysmic events have left the autarchy of aygrimathe one land blessed with magical resourcescut off from its former trading partners across the waters, not knowing if any of those distant peoples still live. Funerary masks were frequently used to cover the face of the deceased. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. They werent supposed to be worn but attached on a fence together with small wooden masks. For the lega, physical beauty and moral excellence are inseparable. Since then, books and catalogues have reproduced the terrifying.

Most of lega masks are sculptures of a human face that are rarely worn over the face and never for purposes of true transformation. The long and fine nose as well as the open eyes and mouth are carved according to the lega style. Surprisingly, the masks are rarely worn on the face, but are attached to different parts of the body, hung on fences, held in the hand, or worn over the forehead with the beard draping over the face. Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids discover delightful. Take advantage of our high resolution images and videos to place bids up until the live event, and then continue to bid during the heritage live auction event, including live streaming audio and video. Sep 11, 2008 one of the most anticipated books of the season is saving face. Generally their purpose was to represent the features of the deceased, both to honour them and to establish a relationship. The text is minimal, but the color plates are numerous as well as weighty. Their style is distinctive, assuming a long narrow polelike style. Jim pieper, author this is a dictionary of masking that not only looks at the persona of the mask but will aid in defining its use, ethnicity and geographical origin. For the sake of protection, the wearer, like the mask maker, is required to follow certain sanctioned procedures in using the mask. Lega artist maskette lukwakongo, late century wood, kaolin, and fiber link. Masks have been worn as a form of disguise by an actor in a performance as part of a religious ceremony as part of membership in a secret society as punishment for a criminal as celebration of a holiday.

These are revealing, gripping and disturbing stories of south korean life today. Lega masks are usually carved in a distinctive style, with a heartshaped, concave face, slightly protruding forehead, narrow nose, slit eyes and a slightly open mouth, often with a rather surprised and charming expression. Vintage bearded lega passport masks from the lega of dr congo. The masks refer to ancestors and are passed from one generation of initiates to the next as symbols of continuity. This carving looks like many lega masks that could be found in the large area of the eastern drc which is home to this ethnic group. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. The friendly smiling expression indicates that it is used in a happy ceremonial event. The bwami society of the lega people uses carved wooden masks and figures to represent the status of the owner in the society.

It was a thrift shop purchased, and all i know is that it looks like it was from africa. Overall good, well weathered, showing some age and wear. There is no question that traditional african art is beautiful to behold, highly prized, and valuable in todays society. Edited by marc leo felix compiled at the congo basin art history research center brussels, belgium june 2014 marc leo felix, anne marie bouttiaux, julien volper, jan elsen in association with the royal museum for central africa, tervuren, belgium ethnic art culture ltd. Masks of the world contains over a thousand pictures and descriptions laid out in spreads like this. These masks also served a spiritual purpose, guiding their owners. They serve as an important mark of rank, identifying the owners as members of specific bwami levels biebuyck 1986,12526. The mumuye were pushed into their current locale during the fulani holy wars, which extended from the 17th century into the early 19th century. Among the lega, art is only created for and used by the bwami society. History channel, african masks, african history, ancient art, lion sculpture, skull. The lega peoples are known for carving masks worn by the bwama society members and were mainly performed during funeral ceremonies condition.

They also use bush cow masks like those of their neighbors. Throughout history, humanity has revered the passing of a person in a myriad ways. The book of masks is widely regarded as the greatest work of his long and distinguished career. The masks are transported in baskets from village to village by highranking elders. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. His books are not expensive and provide excellent reference. Antique african lega tribal small wood face mask w. The selection is based on a series of essays on contemporary writers published as the book of masks by the foremost critic and author of the period. The lega inhabit a forested area of irregular polygonal shape of the kivu region. This is a very rare and unusual lega dance mask idimu with a handle on the back of the mask. Bwami masks and figures are symbols of the owners rank within the bwami society. Purchased from merton simpson by the present owner.

Some samples you see on this page where collected during the two world wars, the others before 1955. African art is masks and statues or sculpture not arts be it africa in mask. The history of masks the history of masks stems from a variety of cultures, religions and traditions from all around the world. The coon is a relatively modern mask in the history of african masks. Transporting readers across centuries and continents, the authors compare and contrast the use of masks in initiation rites and mardi gras, greek tragedy and commedia dellarte, warfare and football. Biebuycks seminal fieldwork of the 1950s, elisabeth cameron investigates the culture and the art of the lega peoples of the democratic republic of the congo. As president barack obama wound down his eight years in the white house and president donald trump took office, time history asked a variety of experts to weigh in on a question. Mask, a form of disguise or concealment usually worn over or in front of the face to hide the identity of a person and by its own features to establish another being.

A brief history of masks masks have been worn in nearly all cultures, for various reasons, since the stone age. The bwami society exercises authority over many aspects of social and religious life, including initiation. Jan 10, 2018 antique african lega tribal small wood face mask w beard. African tribal art lega bwami society mask congo material.

From palaeothic times to the present, people have used masks to add power and mystery to religious rituals. Antique wooden mask from the lega warega seen in older books peoples of the congo zaire formerly but the democratic republic of the congo today. Masks are encountered at the highest levels of initiation into bwami. These special passport masks were found in the rainforest region of the bwami, or lega. The lega people of the democratic republic of congo use masks in a very wide variety of ways, but primarily for initiation into adulthood and to confirm status.