The importance of the chief was demonstrated through the use of freestanding male figures, which were kept and cared for by members of the family. Songye figures are aggressive and often are reinforced with magical substances in order to facilitate contact with the spirit world. Lega Almost all Lega art was made for the Bwami Association. Diminutive and expressive objects in wood, ivory, or bone depict aphorisms and were used in Bwami initiation ceremonies. Chokwe Masks, common in Chokwe villages and worn by men, are used to invoke ancestral spirits, to represent spirits found in nature, or to represent men and women or wild animals during dances.
Figurative masks demonstrate a refined naturalism.