Marka
Spirit Mask (Bamda)
Marka-Dafing, 1900-1932
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Marka
Spirit Mask (Bamda)
Marka-Dafing, 1900-1932
Physical Qualities
Wood, pigment, 27 3/16 x 10 5/8 x 7 11/16 in. (69 x 27 x 19.5 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Whitehouse and Dr. and Mrs. Bernard Berk
Object Number
1968.38.1
Dynamic designs of red, black and white were repainted regularly on Marka-Dafing masks such as this bamba to maintain a vibrant and sharply defined surface. Together, the colors symbolize different levels of knowledge. Black, the shade of wisdom and knowledge accumulated over time, provides a stark contrast to white, which connotes the clean slate of a novice or new beginning. Red is the color of blood and aggression. Such a mask, with its combined animal, human, and abstract features, embodies a spirit of the wild whose appearance offers its family protection.
"Meditations on African Art: Color," April 18, 2007-August 19, 2007, BMA, Karen Milbourne
