Ngbaka (Bouaka, Bwaka, Gbaka, Mbaka, Nbaka), Democratic Republic of the Congo and Central African Republic

Initiation dagara mask. The Ngbaka live mostly in northwest DRC. They practice primitive agriculture, hunting and fishing, activities always preceded by a sacrifice to the ancestors. The Ngbaka had a system of initiation named gaza or ganza: “that which gives strength.” Future initiates had to undergo trials of physical endurance and would attain a first level of knowledge by means of song and corporeal techniques, particularly choreographic turns. In the rites of passage, re-creations of ancestors played an important role. Circumcision and excision took place after several months spent outside the village. There were various mask styles among the Ngbaka and neighboring groups. The diversity developed because northern Zaire was a zone of extreme cultural variety, a result of the intersection of two great ecological systems – the forest and grassland – and several great cultural traditions. Ngbaka masks, known as dagara, are worn during and after ceremonies associated with the initiation and circumcision of young men.

Material: wood

Size:  11½”x8½”x5½”

Price:  $220+$32 (S&H)                                                             [G7N8M560]