Southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Lega

Wood, metal, wire
Mid 20th Century
Height: 20.25 in, Width: 8.25 in, Depth: 2.5 in
Idiophone – Plucked – Lamellophone

A Lega anthropomorphic sanza used as part of the initiation of the Bwami society to which most of the Lega men and women adhered. The Bwami society is aimed at instilling the Lega moral and social values necessary for life in society. The hidden meaning of the figures was known only to the master who taught it to the young.  What is generally known about this sanza is that a figure with raised arms represents a man who, by his arbitration, settled conflicts.

This figural sanza does not represent an ancestor or a supernatural being, but transmits, in various theatrical context, values (good and bad) related to the interpretation of the moral and philosophical Lega code.