The small Suku tribe number only 80.000 people and live in close proximity to the 300.000 numbering Yaka, one of the artistically most prominent tribes in former Zaire.
Being so close to the Yaka can be recognized through the snub nose of this very old fertility figure, a criterion that is actually claimed by the Yaka masks and figures for them alone.
The figure has reservoirs on both sides of the mask for magical substances against illnesses and badly disposed intruders, of which one is still closed. Especially noticeable next to the beautiful patina is the shining red point in the eyes, created by Ebrus seeds. |
month return privilege
