Marka Mask

Creator

Preview

Geography

Mali, Africa

Culture

Marka peoples

Medium

Iron

Dimensions

9 1/2 x 6 x 2 1/2 in. (24.13 x 15.24 x 6.35 cm)

Credit Line

Bequest of David P. Harris ('46), 2020

Accession Number

2020.7

Provenance

Purchased by David P. Harris ('46) from Xanadu Gallery in San Fransisco, California, on June 19, 1998.

References

Brad Hostetler, with Ani Parnagian, "From Private to Public: The Collection of David P. Harris," in Ethiopian Objects in the Blick-Harris Study Collection: Art, Context, and the Persistence of Form, eds. Brad Hostetler, and Lynn Jones, Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art & Architecture 8, no. 1 (Spring 2022): 5–25. https://digital.kenyon.edu/perejournal/vol8/iss1/1/

Description

This mask of the Marka tribe of Mali displays the typical narrow and austere face with long, pointed chin, slit eyes and thin, elongated nose. Near the outer edge of the mask on either side are two holes, one above and one below the small, semi-circular ears, for attaching the mask to the wearer's head.