A large shoulder mask from the Baluba tribe in the Congo hangs in the family room. To its right is a buffalo mask made by the Fang tribe, which would have been used to chase away bad spirits.
Yozefu, 10-year-old Jamar and Linda Rugina pose before one of Linda’s paintings depicting an African landscape.Only February is designated as Black History Month in the United States, but in the home of Yozefu and Linda Rugina, the African culture is revered year-round.
The Ruginas’ home is filled with a variety of African art ranging from Kenyan batiks to ceremonial masks to calaos — stylized bird sculptures carved from one piece of wood.
Every room is a fascinating lesson in African culture, as Yozefu and Linda knowledgeably describe the authentic pieces, the tribes who made them and how they would have been used.
And not all of their collection is displayed.
“There are some things, ceremonial pieces, that are not meant to be displayed. We give them due respect, and they are not displayed in the house,” Yozefu explains.