In this wall, each pole is made of a different kind of wood, each with its own symbolic meaning. The raffia strips in the front are a sign of sacredness. The three peaks are "hills" recalling Kuba oral history. The top one in the middle represents the head of the cultural hero Woot. Each side is topped by two other lesser figures. The public in front is waiting for the arrival of the initiates coming from the well-guarded river.
The phases in these initiation rituals of the Kuba-Bushong are: preliminaries; first masks in village; "wall"; induction through wall and tunnel; camp in bush (no pictures!); forays of boys near village; return to village and dances of snake and salt; captured in net and the eating of rats; firebrand thrown over the wall at the end.