Marka Mask Wood Metal Mali African Art

Description

Type of Object
Mask
Country of Origin
Mali
People
Marka
Materials
Wood, pigment, metal
Approximate Age
20th century
Height (in)
25
Width (in)
6.5
Depth (in)
9
Overall Condition
Good. Most of our pieces have spent decades on at least two continents, and have been treasured by several owners.   Small splits, scrapes and cracks are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age and extensive use.  We examine each piece carefully when we receive it and report any damage we find in our listings.  Please look carefully at the pictures which may also reveal condition and damage.
Damage/Repair
Crack to upper backside
Additional Information:
Marka People can be found in Mali and they are of both Sonineke and Mande speaking people, they inhabited the northwest of Present day Mali they traced their ancestry far back to the Ancient Ghana Empire in the 9th Century AD, they used masks in ceremonies to ensure a sucessful hunt or bountiful harvest , masks are vary in size they have elongated features, long nose, protruding mouth, eye shadowed by a domed shape forehead,  they are decorated with red fiber tassels on the ears and the head each covered with a brass in genometric patterns.   According to Saikou Tunkara the word” Sarakole” in mandinka and wolof it is also referred as ” Marka” in Bambara, ” Wakkore in Songhai, ” Sebbe” and ” Cheddo” in Fulani ,  ” Aswane” in the Arabic language, In their Culture they make pottery,  cloth weaving,  wood carving also In their traditions Antelope is a symbol used for several masks throughout Mali and Burkina Faso but in Mali it is used mostly by the Bambara people and Marka people it is used for sculptures as well the kore mask made up of wood dates back to around the 19th Century- 20 th Century and the wooden cresk mask dates back to the early 19th Century.   According to their Oral history a Muslim merchant was believed to be part of the Bamana Empire, Marka controlled the trade between the Sahel regions and the Beber People crossed the Sahara it is said the trading post to Present day Segou and Kaarta which is now Present day Western Mali, Bilton Coulibaly controlled the Segou which was believed it became the capital of the Bamana Empire due to the rule, Bamabara were dissatisfied with his rule and left which led to migration to further west in 1753 the Kingdom was declined as an Independent force in 1854 by El Haji Umar Tall,  In their Culture the family have a squared mud huts and travelled using donkeys other transportation such as bicycle.   According to B.K. Sillah one of the  first Soninke settlements was established in Ancinet Ghana around 750 AD it is claimed because of the Beber persecution the Soninke dispersed into a smaller groups within the neighbouring regions,  the three main offshoots of the Sonnike are the Marka, Nono, Aser these tribes are broken into smaller clans but specialized in various crafts,  some of the most important Sonnike tribes are the Sisse, Dramane, Sylla, Kante after they fleed to Present day Sengal and Gambia they intermarried or intermixed with the Wolof, Serer and Malinke people.
**137415**
All content, including pictures, Copyright Africa Direct Inc., 2021
Add Us To Your Favorite Sellers!
Please visit our About Us page.
Africa Direct, Inc. has been selling on eBay since 1997 and has received more than 56,000 positive feedbacks. It is owned by Eliza and Sara, who began the company after spending a year wandering southern Africa in a camper van with their multi-racial family. They have been honored with eBay's Hall of Fame award, and by eBay Giving Works, through which they have raised more than 5,000 in charity auctions.
Customer Service
: We treasure our many long term customers, and will try to make you one of them! If you have problems, please tell us... we care!
Handling Time
: We ship daily except Sundays and holidays. Most orders go out the same day, and all go out within 48 hours.
Returns
: We want you to be happy with your purchase. You're welcome to return an item within 30 days in the same condition you received it--just let us know you're returning it. You may have either a credit or a refund for your purchase price, not including shipping both ways. If your original payment was made through PayPal, we'll refund you through PayPal; if you paid us directly with your credit card, we'll refund the credit card.
Combining Shipping
: You are welcome to wait to pay, and to combine multiple items for shipping. We ask that you keep each order to 10 days or 10 items, whichever comes first--then start another order.
When you're ready, just send us a list of item numbers or an invoice request and we'll send you an invoice. You can pay by Paypal or credit card.
U.S. Shipping
: Our staff take great care in packing our artwork, much of which is antique, irregularly-shaped, and fragile. The cost of labor and the special packing materials used is reflected in our shipping price. Our U.S. shipping charges also include insurance; we self-insure on smaller orders. For these reasons, our shipping and handling charges may be more than the price of postage. .
International Shipping
: We ship dozens of international orders each week, to customers on every continent except Antarctica! The shipping charges included in our listings are for U.S. orders. Contact us for shipping charges to your country. We offer uninsured USPS First Class airmail, insured Priority airmail, and insured Express airmail to most parts of the world, depending on the weight, volume, and value of an item. We also ship via FedEx or DHL on request.
Import duties, taxes, and charges are NOT INCLUDED in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding / buying. These charges are normally collected by the delivering freight (shipping) company or when you pick the item up -- do not confuse them for additional shipping charges. And please do not ask us to mark merchandise values below the actual value or mark items as "gifts"--U.S. and International government regulations prohibit such behavior.
Newsletter, previews and special offers
: Sign up for our newsletter
Go to Africa Direct Store