Large Yaka Mask - Mukanda - Kongo - Drc - Origin - 110cm

Mask used in Mukanda ceremonies. It features an oval face with an open mouth revealing the teeth. The nose is long and upturned, symbolizing virility and also referencing a bird's beak. The eyes are set within ovals and painted blue. Atop the head is a superstructure representing a bird nesting with its eggs. The polychromy is very well preserved and retains a beautiful brilliance. The mask has kept its raffia collar. Materials: Wood, raffia, fabric, pigments. Dimensions: 110 cm high x approximately 50 cm wide. Origin: Yaka people, Popokabaka territory, Kwango province, Democratic Republic of Congo. Provenance: Collected in the 1950s by a man named Kibabi and sold in the 1970s to a Belgian painter, then passed down through the family.