Nkanda Shrine Figure with Raffia

Origin: Yaka Tribe, D.R. Congo
Composition: wood, pigment stain, raffia

This Yaka figure was carved from a single piece of wood and is of the type employed by the Nkanu (a subgroup of the Yaka) tribe during young men’s initiation rituals known as “nkanda.” Lasting several months, nkanda is organized into three distinct phases: separation, transition, and reintegration, and takes young initiates through stages of education, transformation, and a symbolic death and rebirth. During their seclusion, young boys observe their elders carve these pieces (which all convey important community values, such as cooperation, friendship, loyalty, mutual respect, regard for the chief, and reverence of the ancestral spirits), while they learn the complex visual language and moral lessons of nkanda.

When the boys return from their seclusion, they attach panels to the walls of the "kikaku"—a three-sided structure outside the initiation compound—for public display, and include figures, musical instruments, and posts related to the lessons they learn during initiation rituals. To conclude their initiation cycle, an elaborate celebration is held around the kikaku: the boys wear costumes and perform nkanda dances, and the elders wear masks and perform dances to bestow the protective spirits of the ancestors upon the boys, who are welcomed into the community as adults. Historically, participation in nkanda was required of all Nkanu boys, but today the ritual occurs infrequently. (Ref: “Spectacular Display: the Art of Nkanu Initiation Rituals,” National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution)

Note to buyers: This is one of a limited number of Yaka pieces which SUJARO recently purchased in an air shipment from the Congo. The Western African art collecting market has been recently inundated with Yaka reproductions and production pieces. Through this period, SUJARO has moved away from buying Yaka pieces (we haven’t seen much we like) but with a planned trip to the Congo in the near future, look for further Yaka pieces to make there way into our collection.