Name: Ofika figure for Lilwa Society
Culture: Mbole people
Region: Democratic Republic of Congo
Material: Wood
Description: Mbole are a small-scale society governed primarily by a men's voluntary association known as Lilwa. Lilwa initiates young boys secluded in the bush, and instills in them a respect for the authority of their elders, and of Lilwa, through strenuous tests of courage, and through the use of art. The Ofika figure represents a person who was hanged for going against Lilwa's rules--so it is meant to suggest to the boys what will happen if they disobey.