Yaka masks are used to celebrate the return of young men from the initiation camp. A handle at the bottom of the mask allows them to be held in dance. The antennae-like portion of this mask may relate to a chief’s headdress. The “tear streaks” under the eyes symbolize the initiates’ suffering. The upturned nose, a typical feature of Yaka carving, may be decorative, relate to fertility, or represent a bird or elephant.