{"product_id":"marka-mask-with-single-horn-mali","title":"Marka Mask with Single Horn - Mali","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMarka Mask with Single Horn\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMali, West Africa\u003cbr\u003eWood, cowrie shells, pigment\u003cbr\u003eHeight: 51 cm\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn elegant Marka mask from Mali, carved in the refined, elongated style for which the Marka people are known. The narrow oval face tapers to a pointed chin, with heavy-lidded, slit eyes set beneath a broad domed forehead and a long, straight nose. A single curved horn rises dramatically from the crown, a motif associated with initiation societies and evoking the antelope, a symbol of grace and diligence in the cultures of the Western Sudan.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRows of embedded cowrie shells trace the contours of the face and coiffure — a hallmark of Marka and Bamana adornment, where cowries signified wealth, fertility, and spiritual protection. The surface carries a soft, weathered patina in muted rose and grey-black tones.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMasks of this type were traditionally danced during initiation rites and agricultural celebrations, marking the passage of young men into adulthood.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA striking sculptural presence, equally at home in a collection of African art or as a focal point in a contemporary interior.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Alobalo ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48092408643810,"sku":"ALB-MAS-022","price":100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0825\/2201\/3922\/files\/67bd4321-dbea-492e-b520-9718d9a4ab58.jpg?v=1785021088","url":"https:\/\/www.alobalo.shop\/products\/marka-mask-with-single-horn-mali","provider":"Alobalo ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}