N'Golo mask - Marka-Soninké - Mali

This N’Golo mask from the Marka-Soninké is partially covered with metal plates featuring geometric designs and also has two long braids made of small metal tubes attached at the beginning of the eyebrows and running down the cheeks, finished with pieces of red fabric. With a design that is almost 'cubist,' this mask is broadly similar to the Bambara masks of the N'Tomo society: a long, thin face, a sharp, pointed nose dividing the face into two symmetrical parts, and a high, bulging forehead whose mass dominates the lower part of the face, from which emerge two small, straight, vertical horns tapering towards their tips, allowing this mask to be classified as belonging to the N'Tomo society.

Provenance: Mundo Africano, Barcelona
Argiles Collection, Barcelona