Yaka society is tightly structured and headed by a chief of Lunda origin, the Kiamfu,

who delegates responsibilities to ministers and lineage chiefs, Unkwagata. Young

men are expected to pass through various initiation ceremonies in order to become

adult members of Yaka society. The tribe lives principally through hunting, although

subsidiary farming is undertaken by women. Yaka artistic tradition is rich and various,

much of it informed by their neighbors: the Suku, the Kongo, the Holo and the Teke.

The present sculpture is a fine example of classic Yaka figural tradition. The

dimensions of the body are exaggerated: protruding breasts and belly indicate fertility

and abundance, while thick legs show strength and stability. The exaggeration of

featured continues in the face: the ears shoot forth from the body, and the eyes are

not defined by sockets but by heavy lids carved in relief away from the face.

The upturned nose, a mainstay of Yaka figuration, is associated with fertility and

carries phallic associations: Yaka masks, which were a key part of male initiation

ceremonies, also share this feature.

Figures such as this one had various and sometimes contradictory functions for the

Yaka. The majority of Yaka figures were carved in pairs and were associated with

Mbwoolo shrines. Some figures have cavities that were filled with magic material that

was thought to activate the sculpture to actuate the dedicator’s will. This type,

however, was instead adorned with magical attachments, hung from the neck, wrists,

and waist, that fulfilled a similar function. Yaka figures were charged with overseeing

healthy pregnancies and deliveries, and both curing and causing illnesses.