Dyoboli dancers wearing metal-covered masks, Cercle of San, Mali

The photograph depicts dyoboli dancers wearing metal-covered masks and holding sticks and fly-whisks. Their costumes include women's cloth and dyed da fiber. "Yayoroba and dyoboli are two masquerades among the Bamana, Bozo, and Marka which address issues of both physical and moral beauty. the two masquerades complement each another. Youth associations often present a masquerade representing a beautiful woman, called dyoboli by the Bamana and Marka, and naminay by the bozo. Dyoboli communicates the important moral lesson of female beauty flawed by a personality defect as perceived by a male-dominated society." [Pascal James Imperato, 1994: The Depiction of Beautiful Women in Malian Youth Association Masquerades. African Arts, Jan.1994. Regents of the University of California]. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Life magazine and traveled to Africa from August 18, 1959 to December 20, 1959.