Marka Marionette Bust, Mali

Cornelis Pieter Meulendijk, Rotterdam
Christie's South Kensington, London, The Meulendijk Collection of Tribal Art, October 22, 1980, lot 72
Joaquin Pecci, Brussels
S. Thomas Alexander III and Laura Rogers, St. Louis, acquired from the above in 2008

Cees op 't Land, Afrikaanse sculpturen uit de collectie van C.P. Meulendijk, Rotterdam, 1967, p. 42, fig. 16/01
René S. Wassing, African Art: its Background and Traditions, Rotterdam, 1968, p. 221, pl. XXIV

Good condition for an object of this type and age. Surface with layered pigment and encrustation. Marks, nicks, scratches, abrasions, small chips, and age cracks consistent with age and use. Metal plates with dents, folds, and small tears. Mouth is inlaid with teeth, attached with a crusty buildup of resin, with some losses. A metal post embedded in the underside for attachment to base.
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Among the Bamana, Marka, and Bozo peoples, masquerades employing elaborate marionettes serve to reinforce societal mores and educate young members of the community.  Arnoldi notes (in Colleyn 2001: 78), such performances "are important sites for the exploration of the moral universe. Even though they are defined as entertainment, troupes proceed with a seriousness of purpose, often mediated by wit and humour, to examine the nature of their world and their lived experiences. [... The] theater has constituted an important avenue through which young Bamana [and similarly Marka and Bozo] men and women have gained access to knowledge, instruction and experience in contemplating and actualizing critical beliefs and values within their communities."

The Meulendijk Marka Marionette Bust is an rare example of exceptional sculptural power, featuring a fearsome set of teeth, as well as rich adornments of fabric, coverings of punched metal, and deep encrusted red pigment.  The cubist form of the slender face evokes moral authority and learned wisdom with its stern, minimal expression.