The Ceremonial Mask made from the Quatza-Rij.
The Quatza-Rij is a creature native to Yautja Prime, the homeworld of the Yautja. They are know as one of the fiercest creatures indigenous to Yautja Prime.
Cultural significance
As a tradition, young Yautja hunters always hunt in groups of three. They are sent out in packs and must hunt and kill one Quatza-Rij as a team in order to be accepted as adult clan members and be recognized as a legitimate hunter. Only after years of hunting do the most skilled and experienced hunters try to kill a Quatza-Rij on their own. If successful, they can then break away from the pack and are allowed to travel off-world to hunt bigger game.
Ceremonial mask
The Ceremonial mask is worn by the elder Predators during the "rite of passage" ceremony of the young hunters. It is fashioned from the skin and bone of one of the Quatza-Rij.
The Ceremonial mask has no laser sight, as it is not a hunting helmet, but it is decorated with three circles on the forehead that represent each of the three hunters. The symbol of unity and teamwork, the Yautja laser sight is modeled after this symbol.
Behind the scenes
The Quatza-Rij was created by Sideshow Collectibles as background information for their "Ceremonial Mask". The mask itself was designed by Steve Wang, an award winning special makeup FX artist, creature designer, producer and director, who worked on Predator in some capacity.