Suku (Basuku), Democratic Republic of the Congo

Kakungu ceremonial mask. The 80,000 Suku inhabit the Southwest of the DRC. Their main economic resources are farming and hunt. In Suku society, boys’ coming-of-age preparation is the responsibility of the Nkanda association. In the seclusion of lodges located outside the village, boys between the ages of ten and fifteen years are taught the history and traditions of their people and undergo obligatory circumcision. They also learn the songs and dances that will be performed at their initiation ceremonies. Several different masks are used in the Nkanda graduation ceremonies. This mask is one of them. The mask appears on the day of circumcision and again when the young man leaves the lodges to return to the village. Kakungu masks instill in the young men obedience and respect for their elders. The masks are also protective, threatening anyone suspected of harboring evil intentions against the initiates.

Material:  wood

Size:  H. 12”, W. 6 ½”, D. 4 ½”

Price: $180 + $27 (S&H)           [#K8S9M391]