Yaka Mask

This mask is a part of "Yaka" culture in which initiation ceremonies known as "Mukanda" are celebrated. These ceremonies mark the coming of age of young boys, aged between 10 and 15, when they are separated from the community. A ritual leader, who wears this mask, is responsible for leading the adolescents into a wood where they are circumcised, which is a display of their power and courage and prepares them for marriage. During the ritual, the young boys hide their identity behind their own masks until the ceremony is over and they are shown to their mothers and others as new members of the adult world. Women are excluded from the “Mukanda”, but they wish for their sons and husbands to attend the ceremony as its primary mission is the continuity and growth of the family.