Old Rare African Suku Yaka mask – Congo. (Zonder Minimumprijs)

Old African Suku Yaka mask from CongoDimensions: 32 cm.Very nice Yaka Suku mask carved from woodFrom a Belgian private collection. Tabala.Mr. Tabala is a passionate collector of African art who collected these objects between 1973 and the nineties. He traveled to many regions of Congo and Tanzania.This mask is dated mid of the 20th century and collected mid 70th and comes with a certificate of authenticity.This extraordinary mask was used by Yaka and Suku peoples of south-western Congo in the mid of the 20th century. Both cultures share an institution called mukanda, which is concerned with the circumcision and initiation of young men. Kakungu, the 'red giant', played an important role during this male initiation. The Yaka and Suku consider kakungu as their oldest and most powerful mask. The basic painted colors are red. Made of a soft wood called mungela (alstonia congensis or ricinodendron), the mask generally was worn surrounded by a full-length fringe of palm leaf stripes called futi or kindua. Kakungu masks were exclusively owned and worn by the charm specialist of the initiation camp called isidika (or kisidika among the Suku), as one of the many tools employed by him to ensure the well-being of the... lees verder bij Catawiki