Dynamic designs of red, black and white were repainted regularly on Marka-Dafing masks such as this bamba to maintain a vibrant and sharply defined surface. Together, the colors symbolize different levels of knowledge. Black, the shade of wisdom and knowledge accumulated over time, provides a stark contrast to white, which connotes the clean slate of a novice or new beginning. Red is the color of blood and aggression. Such a mask, with its combined animal, human, and abstract features, embodies a spirit of the wild whose appearance offers its family protection.