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Lot Essay
Circa late 19th century
Large-scale Lega ivory (Loxodonta Africana) masks are extremely rare and played an essential role within the institution of the Bwami. Called idumu, they were the exclusive property of the highest ranking initiates and were placed under the autoritiy of the community's elder. They weren't supposed to be worn but attached on a fence together with small wooden masks.
The Beyeler Lega mask carries a powerful expression of interiority through its half-closed eyes and small contracted mouth from which are protruding tiny sharp teeth. The forehead surmounting the arching brow is decorated with two refined lines made out of small engraved dots. We can admire the perfect balance of the mask between the domed forehead and the delicate carving from the deep eye-sockets to the slightly projected chin. The Beyeler mask compares to another mask that was collected in 1958 (Pierre Bergé, 4 Juin 2009, lot 54) by Fernand Stradiot.
The Beyeler Lega mask is a powerful reminder of the continued relevance of African art as illustrated by the comparison of the work of Georg Baselitz in the collection of the Beyeler Foundation. The highly expressive nature of the Lega mask and the raw, expression of the Baselitz each conveyed through the economy of line and vibrancy of the surface.
Large-scale Lega ivory (Loxodonta Africana) masks are extremely rare and played an essential role within the institution of the Bwami. Called idumu, they were the exclusive property of the highest ranking initiates and were placed under the autoritiy of the community's elder. They weren't supposed to be worn but attached on a fence together with small wooden masks.
The Beyeler Lega mask carries a powerful expression of interiority through its half-closed eyes and small contracted mouth from which are protruding tiny sharp teeth. The forehead surmounting the arching brow is decorated with two refined lines made out of small engraved dots. We can admire the perfect balance of the mask between the domed forehead and the delicate carving from the deep eye-sockets to the slightly projected chin. The Beyeler mask compares to another mask that was collected in 1958 (Pierre Bergé, 4 Juin 2009, lot 54) by Fernand Stradiot.
The Beyeler Lega mask is a powerful reminder of the continued relevance of African art as illustrated by the comparison of the work of Georg Baselitz in the collection of the Beyeler Foundation. The highly expressive nature of the Lega mask and the raw, expression of the Baselitz each conveyed through the economy of line and vibrancy of the surface.