LELE, Democratic Republic of Congo. Hardwood, natural pigments, vegetable fibres and horsehair. The Lele make masks that have much in common, both visually and functionally, with those of their neighbours in the central kingdom of Kuba, but are much rarer. These masks appear mainly at the funerals of chiefs and elders, but are also used in annual performances that celebrate and teach the history of the Lele's origins and migrations. This remarkably fine female mask was invested with a 'ngesh' nature spirit that manifested itself when the wearer began to dance. Her gestures, along with the accompanying shouts and chants, were an expressive display of the spirit inhabiting the mask. 27.5x19.5 cm. (small chips). Publication. -This mask was published in Angelo Turconi's INFINI CONGO. -It was also published in Tribal Art Magazine "A Passion for the Congo", fig. 18, page 102, a report by Alex Arthur on Angelo Turconi's life in the Congo.