In Mali and Burkina Faso, the Marka people whose settlement region extends from the north of the Bambara territory to the Senegalese border. They are famous for their masks and puppets. These types of  masks are used in two ceremonies - during the circumcision ceremonies and during the ceremonies when the inititaed men advance from one grade to the next. Along the river masks are used in ceremonies related to fishing and hunting.

Notice the totemic animal at the forehead of the mask and the very intricate design of dots and scarifications on the face which you would see on a metal face of a similar mask. Yet  - here it is all carved in wood.