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African & Tribal Art :
Marka : Maraka ritual wooden Mask
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Maraka ritual wooden Mask - GDC.044
Origin: Northwestern Mali
Circa: 20
th
Century AD
Dimensions:
16" (40.6cm) high
Collection: African Art
Medium: Wood, Metal
Condition: Very Fine
Additional Information: Korea
Location: Great Britain
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| Description |
The Maraka people are a Soninke tribe living in
the area of northwest Mali.
At the time of the Bambara Empire in Mali (1712-
1861), the Maraka were a number of influential
Muslim merchant communities which largely
controlled the rich desert-side trade of the
nomadic berber tribes who crossed the Sahara.
The Bambara Empire integrated Maraka
communities into their state structure, and
Maraka trading posts and plantations multiplied
during the 18th and early 19th centuries. When
the pagan Bambara Empire was defeated by the
Muslim Toucouleur tribe of Umar Tall in the
1850s, the Maraka's unique commerce,
landholdings concessions and prosperity
suffered irrevocably.
Today there are only around 25,000 Maraka
speakers, and they are largely integrated
amongst their Soninke and Bambara neighbours.
This mask has a very narrow mouth with raised
lips at the bottom of an elongated face. The nose
is extremely long and elegantly thin and the eyes
are cast downward, a show of respect common in
many African masks.
The Marakas usually make an extensive use of
bronze, copper or tin sheeting affixed to the face
of masks with small tacks or brads. The intricate
designs on these sheets is reminiscent of the
ritual scarification of the Maraka hunters. Where
wood is exposed, as in our case, it is often
carved in shallow repetitive patterns similar to
the patterns on the metal.
The antelope is a form seen repeatedly in
Maraka masks as antelopes are revered
throughout Mali, being a symbol of the speed
and endurance all hunters seek to attain. Some
Maraka masks portray human faces, others
portray clearly antelope faces, and still others
portray a combination of human and antelope
features, usually a human face topped by
antelope's horns. This mixing of the species in
the mask is thought to help the wearer acquire
the speed and agility of the antelope.
Such masks are used by the Maraka in
ceremonies to ensure a successful hunt or a
bountiful harvest. The masks are also used in
circumcision ceremonies, circumcision being an
extremely important turning point in the life of
adolescent boys, confirming their worth among
peers and legitimizing them as a full member of
society.
- (GDC.044)
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