Yaka Janus Wood Pipe Congo

The Yaka are renowned for infusing beauty and expressive power into everyday objects. Best known for the distinctive upturned noses seen on initiation masks and diviners’ fetishes (M’bwoolo), Yaka artists also embrace abstraction and ambiguity in their work. Figural pipes such as this demonstrate their ability to merge utility with symbolism, echoing forms also found in power figures and ancestor sculptures used in shrines and divination contexts.

With its aged surface and sculptural presence, this pipe stands as a compelling example of Yaka artistry, where function, ritual, and aesthetics converge.