Marka masks are often partly covered with metal sheeting. The Marka dress the masks in gaily-colored costumes made of cloth. The masks were used in two rituals, during the circumcision ceremony of adolescents, and when circumcised men advanced from one grade to another. Along the Niger River the Marka use the masks in ceremonies related to fishing and farming. The specific function of this mask during ceremonies is not clear.

This mask has been on our museum web site for 16 years. It just returned to us from a private collection