Mask

Label TextGaza or “that which gives strength” is the name of Ngbaka initiations in which masks played a part. Initiates were tested for physical endurance and mental acuity as they learned songs and choreography based on recreations of ancestral teachings. Masks, known as dagara, are distinctive in style, with oval eyes and sliver mouths, as well as facial scarification ridges, which are missing in this example. The oldest known example of a Ngbaka mask is in the Brooklyn Museum, and it was collected during a museum expedition in 1922.

Object number91.253

Published ReferencesSeattle Art Museum: Bridging Cultures, London: Scala Publishers Ltd. for the Seattle Art Museum, 2007, p. 49

Credit LineGift of Dr. Oliver E. and Pamela F. Cobb

Dimensions10 5/8 x 8 1/4 in. (26.99 x 20.96 cm)

MediumWood