All right,
I have come to observe strong sympthoms that (at least) the Malian fancied stylizing their figures, like elongating the snouts of the animals, in their "representational" decorations. Look at the snout and ears of these antelopes, crafted by the Bambara, used in helmets, masks and headresses.
Also "mixed" figures may be seen, sugesting half antelopes colated to half crocodiles.
For some reasons practically all these and several other images shown in this collection don't have eyes, but well pronounced ears instead.
If this tendence were the same as the one applied to the figure of my sword, those cavities being ears and not eyes, the animal "representationed" would be something like the hyena,quicker than the lizard and much quicker than a bird.
But what do i know?
Fernando
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