Marka (Warka), Mali and Burkina Faso

Ntomo or ndomo ceremonial mask. The 400,000 Marka whose settlement region extends from the north of the Bambara territory to the Senegalese border live principally from agriculture with some subsidiary cattle. They adopted many cultural institutions and customs from  their Bambara neighbors. The Marka are famous for their masks and puppets. Marka masks are often carved with horns, comb or crest on top of the head. The masks of this type were used in two rituals, during the circumcision ceremony of adolescents, and when circumcised men advanced from one grade to another. Along the Niger River the Marka use the masks in ceremonies related to fishing and farming. The Marka masks often appear in pair, to represent man’s courting of woman.

Material: wood, cotton tassels

Size: 11”x5”x3”