Wall decorations of the Oualata type at Bamako

The magnificent wall decorations at Oualata, Mauritanie, with their textile distribution and typical coherence of their motifs, have attracted the attention of research workers. Duchemin, who has studied them at the place and presented his conclusions in a paper, gives in his introduction a resume of the hypothesis and views which he says have been advanced by P. Marty and Th. Monod among others and sums up in the following way: . . . Pour le professeur P. Marty, l'extremite des motifs encadrant les portes a l'exterieur fait penser a l'embleme chretien byzantin: la croix surmontant le monde. Le professeur Th. Monod, chercha des elements de comparaison tres orientaux . . . Gabus says concerning Oualata: . . . Et cela, c'est le Maroc - represente par les chefferies Mehajib et Chorfa - vu par l'artisan noir, l'ancien captif hartani ou le Soninke. The Oualata paintings are always applied freehand using one finger and no brush. They are characterized by a strict grouping of motifs within clearly limited areas. These are sometimes enclosed in definite outlines. Within these areas the bands of colour, consequently of the width of a finger, branch out in ever new and fanciful patterns which resemble those of Islamic applique work. Another

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