Face Mask Surmounted by Female Figure

Origin: Bambarra Tribe, Mali
Composition: wood

The 2,500,000 Bambarra people, also called Bamana, form the largest ethnic group within Mali and occupy the central part of the country, in an area of savannah. They live principally from agriculture, with some subsidiary cattle rearing in the northern part of their territory. The Bambarra people are predominantly animists, although recently the Muslim faith has been spreading among them. The Bambarra kingdom was founded in the 17th century and reached its pinnacle between 1760 and 1787 during the reign of N’golo Diarra. N’golo Diarra is credited with conquering the Peul people and in turn claimed the cities of Djenne and Timbuktu. However, during the 19th century, the kingdom began to decline and ultimately fell to the French when they arrived in 1892. For the most part, Bambarra society is structured around six male societies, known as de Dyow (sing. Dyo) (Bacquart, Tribal Arts of Africa).