Face mask of the LWALWA, DR Congo, ca 1970

The Lwalwa are related to the Lulua. At the head of a Lwalwa village is a male or female chief known as Dina Dia Bukalenga, whose power is held in check by a powerful society, the Bangongo. Like their neighbours, Lwalwa men hunt while the women work in the fields, on the farm. The masks of the Lwalwa have a lot of expression through the combination of flowing shapes and angular noses and a strongly protruding mouth. This is a beautiful specimen; deco but old deco made in the tribe. The photos represent the mask well. Good condition!

Length: 32 cm
Weight: 707 grams
Origin: DR Congo
Date: circa 1970
Provenance: Obtained from a Walloon private collection

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