Yaka masks at Didier Claes stand this year in the famous Brussels show. BRAFA has no ‘best stand’ prize, but a strong contender would have been Didier Claes Gallery for sourcing a dozen impressive Yaka masks from the Congo, all at least 50 years old yet complete with raffia fibers. They’re used for the ritual dances associated with circumcision and coming of age, hence the phallic-tending noses and the variety of sizes, different masks with differing powers being worn as the ceremony progresses. They sold out at around €15-20,000 each. As a group of 13 they make quite an impression.
