250519 - African Ngbaka mask with ears from Ubangi, Northern Congo.

African Ngbaka mask from Ubangi, Northern Congo.
Size: 56 cm high.

The Ngbaka people, who live in the center of the Democratic Republic of Congo (specifically the Ubangi region), had an important rite of passage for boys. They called it gaza wuli, which means "That which gives strength". The initiate has to pass all kinds of physical tests and is finally circumcised. During and after these ceremonies, the masks, known as dagara, were worn. This mask has an iron ring through the nose and on each cheek 2 carved signs in the shape of a cross.
The masks are usually oval in shape, resembling a monkey, as in this mask.

Initiation rites are an important part of Ngbaka cultural life. The system of initiation is called Ganza, meaning "thar which gives strength." During periods of initiation, young boys and girls are taken outside the village for several months and put through a series of trials of physical, mental, and emotional endurance. At the end of these tests, the initiates generally are circumcised or excised to indicate that they have undergone the rites of passage and now can be considered men and women.