According to sources, this mask belongs to the branch of the Marka ethnic group settled in the Dédougou region of Burkina Faso, where they are known as the Dafing, meaning ‘Black Mouth’ due to their heavily tattooed lips. It is identical in shape, except for the small handle beneath the chin, to one of the Ibo masks from Nigeria. It may have been influenced by the Grebo, despite the great distance separating the two ethnic groups (around 1,200 km), or by the Mossi (Karaneda mask or Yatenga-style Karanga, neighbouring the Marka-Dafing) or the Bobo-Fing (Bolo mask). Provenance: N Gom Codov, Paris Argiles Collection, Barcelona