LEGA FIGURE Ivory - 21 cm D.R.Congo Lega figures of this size are quite exceptional. This figure's stout volume is paired with a delicate, minimalist rendering of the facial features. Iginga ivory figures are the exclusive property of the highest dignitaries in bwami society. They all have a distinct name and function. Received upon achievement of the highest grade, they are customarily inherited from a parent. They are a symbol and reminder of the moral, social, legal and philosophical values of the society. Provenance: Private collection, started in the early-20th-century, New Jersey Thence by descent Private collection, Pennsylvania Sotheby's Paris, 17 June 2009 Galerie Bernard de Grunne, Brussels Important private collection, Belgium