MARKA, Mali.
MARKA, Mali. Hardwood, with a dark patina of wear weathered by the elements. A powerful anthropo-zoomorphic dance mask depicting a human face with a highly understated sculptural style, topped by two horns. It was worn during dances associated with the numerous societies that govern the lives of the peoples of Mali. Their ritual uses ranged from initiation rites for boys aged 6 to 13 to circumcision ceremonies, agricultural rites, and fishing rites, as the Marka people live along the Niger River in the Ségou region. First half of the 20th century. H: 34 cm.
MARKA, Mali. Hardwood, with a dark patina of wear weathered by the elements. A powerful anthropo-zoomorphic dance mask depicting a human face with a highly understated sculptural style, topped by two horns. It was worn during dances associated with the numerous societies that govern the lives of the peoples of Mali. Their ritual uses ranged from initiation rites for boys aged 6 to 13 to circumcision ceremonies, agricultural rites, and fishing rites, as the Marka people live along the Niger River in the Ségou region. First half of the 20th century. H: 34 cm.
