Tribal Art

Two narrow faces traversed by a long rectangular nose are joined at the top by a crest. The features, underlined by inlaid brass leaves, form the specificity of the marka sculptures. Signs of use, old matte patina, desication cracks, erosions.
The Marka , Maraka in Bamana, Warka , or Sarakolé, are Muslim city dwellers of Soninke origin, established in southern Niger, scattered since the end of the Ghana Empire in Mali, Mauritania and Senegal. They now speak Bamana and have adopted many of the Bambara traditions, such as the Ntomo and the Koré, initiation societies that used masks during their ceremonies. The Bambara and Marka African art sculptors are part of the Numuw, who are not tied to an ethnic group and are free to settle wherever they wish.