The Lega distinguish two types of ivory masks based on their size. Firstly, ivory “masquettes” called lukungu with a size ranging from 10 to 18 cm, generally fitting in the palm of a hand and secondly much rarer larger masks called idimu which range in size between 19 and 22 cm. In my corpus illustrated here of thirty-seven ivory masks, fifteen
belong probably to the idimu category and the other twenty-one are lukungu ones.
Since the first years of the Twentieth century, Lega ivory masks have fascinated both artists, poets, collectors, and dealers. This major axis of fascination happened between the three cities of Antwerpen, Brussels and Paris, a fitting parallel to the golden triangle of Lega art located between Pangi, Kama and Shabunda, The history of the discovery of some major ivory masks seems a worthy topic.
Bernard de Grunne's selection of thirtyseven masks is un indubitably a fairly complete 'catalogue raisonné' of important Lega masks.
