Object Details
- Label Text
- Yaka masks are associated with nkanda male circumcision and puberty rituals. Initiation masters and the leaders of the initiates wear this type of mask in choreographed appearances of the male ancestors and culture heroes to promote life, growth and healing, and to welcome a new generation of men. The masks contain complex and subtle references to male and female sexuality, the fertility of the earth and the cycles of the sun and the moon. At the end of the ceremonies, the masks are either destroyed or sold. Traditionally the mask's upward turning nose was removed and burned, with the ashes being kept until the next initiation ceremonies.
- This Yaka mask has the bright colors typical of relatively recent masks from the Lusanga area.
- Description
- Cap mask composed of a small wood face encircled in a frame, the interior of which is adorned with alternating black and white triangles. The face has projecting coffee bean eyes, bright blue accents, incised teeth and a vertical handle under the chin. The superstructure is fabricated with cloth stretched over an armature and adorned with blue, yellow, white and black geometric patterns. The central spire supports one horizontal disk and four projections or horns. A skirt of raffia fringes edges the mask.
- Provenance
- Richard M. Cohen, Los Angeles, -- to 1983
- Content Statement
- As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
- Image Requests
- High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
- Data Source
- National Museum of African Art
- Maker
- Yaka artist
- Date
- Mid-late 20th century
- Credit Line
- Gift of Richard M. Cohen
- Medium
- Wood, pigment, plant fiber, raffia, cloth
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 57.2 x 45.7 x 7.9 cm (22 1/2 x 18 x 3 1/8 in.)
- Type
- Mask
