Southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Lega

Wood, metal, fiber string, wire
Mid 20th Century
Height: 13.5 in, Width: 7 in, Depth: 5 in
Idiophone – Plucked – Lamellophone

A finely sculptured anthropomorphic  Lega sanza (zanza) with seven metal keys (lamellae). Kneeling (pose) is an icon of respect, a test of endurance, and above all, a commitment to the way of the ancestors.  Protruding eyelids, indicate the stage that its holder had reached within the Bwami, a cultural learning society composed of different ranks, and joined by the wives whose spouse had reached the third level, that of the ngandu.  The head is facing straight forward and has brass tacks evidencing ritual scarification. Bands of tightly woven string adorn the neck and raised arms.  The raised arms represent a man who, by his arbitration, settled conflicts.  Apertures are in the abdomen and sides allow for the sound to enter the hollow cavity of the box-shaped resonator (body) and reverberate.

The masters and initiating members used a rich variety of objects such as masks (usually not worn on the face but in the hand) of small and medium dimensions in wood, bone or ivory, as well as surprising figurines such as this, subdivided into several categories according to the aphorism or morality which was linked to it. The hidden meaning of the figure was known only to the master who taught it to the young.

Within the Lega, the Bwami society open to men and women, organized their social and political life.  There were up to seven levels of initiation, each associated with emblems. Following their exodus from Uganda in the 17^th century, the Lega settled on the west bank of the Lualaba River in the DRC.  Also called Warega, these individuals live in self-contained villages surrounded by traprock cliffs, usually on top of hills.  The role of the chief, kindi, is held by the oldest man in the clan, who must be the highest-ranking.