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The mapiko of the Makonde are between East Africa’s most prominent masked dancing tradition. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, mapiko masks from Tanzania and Mozambique have been a favourite subject of appreciation and collection.
Mapiko masquerades are a central institution in Makonde society, one that links up with many aspects of social life such as gender roles, passage of age, power and authority and social identity. Mapiko are strongly connected with the boys’ initiation rites (likumbi), a rite of passage marking the end of childhood and the coming of age, where boys are circumcised and integrated into society as adults. The core secret of these rituals is the unravelling of the human nature of the masked dancer (lipiko), a 'public secret' in Makonde society.
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A little leaven smoothes away the whole lump. 
