Kholuka mask for the Nkanda society

Dancing into the village square, a young man would swing this kholuka mask over his shoulder with a flourish. The crowd might already have started to titter. Kholuka masks are part of the final performance in a celebration of adolescent boys’ entry into the world of men, and the masks have a bawdy appeal. The bushrat peering over the front of this mask has overly enlarged genitals, for example. The animal’s position suggests that it is not merely sitting on the head of the dancer but ready to mount it. The crude iconography contrasts with the fine ornamental details in the paint that remains on the animal and the abstracted face below. The upturned nose on the face is a hallmark of Yaka art that some relate to a powerful elephant’s trunk or an erect phallus.

In performance, the dancer holds the mask in front of him, raising it like a scepter to highlight particularly fast and intricate choreography, vibrant painted colors adding flash to this gesture. The accompanying music mocks local politicians, neighborhood cheapskates, and other members of the community who make life difficult for their neighbors. Most of all, however, this mask and its performance mock women. Making lewd jokes and hurling insults, the performance breaks all the traditional taboos of Yaka society, giving young men a chance to bond with their elders before the men’s society festivities are over. This breech of protocol traditionally occurred only every few years, when a new group of boys completed the preparations for manhood. Audiences remember these infrequent performances well, and often compare the jokes and masks of one celebration to previous occasions.