Yaka Circumcision Mask

CLOSE UP

Place of Origin: Yaka, Zaire
Date: ca. 1905
Size: 21 3/18 inches high including raffia
Material: Wood and raffia

Among the Yaka, an artistically prolific people west of the Pende, men are responsible for hunting, while women cultivate a variety of crops. Exaggerated and bizarre features, particularly the upturned nose, characterize Yaka masks used in circumcision and initiation.