African Arts Gallery

Petit masque Markha, Warka (N° 16635)

The small mask, on the other hand, was used by the association of the N'tomo grouping uncircumcised youth. Carved from dense wood, it is framed by elements depicting the braids on either side of a stylized crest. The nose, the central point of the face between the heavy lowered eyelids, is also the organ of sociability. Dark, oily skate, abraded locally on a light wood.
The Marka , Maraka en Bamana, or Warka , are Muslim city dwellers of Soninke origin, established in southern Niger, north of the Bambara territory and have, therefore, been influenced by the latter especially in the design of their masks. In addition to the points of similarity between Markha and Bambara art, they also have in common institutions. They now speak bamana but have an initiation language, a means of communication in the hands of the initiates. They adopted much of the Bambara traditions, such as the Ntomo and the Koré, initiation societies that used masks during their ceremonies. The sculptors of African art Bambara and Marka are part of the Numuw , who are not linked to an ethnic group and are free to settle wherever they wish.