Bamana-Chiwara male antelope headdress

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Bamana-Chiwara male antelope headdress

Place of OriginMali

Daten.d.

DimensionsH: 35 3/4 in. (90.8 cm); W: 11 1/8 in. (28.3 cm); Depth: 3 in. (7.6 cm);

MediumCarved wood, copper nails.

ClassificationSculpture

Credit LineGift of the Popplestone Family

Object number

2006.69

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Label TextThe Bamana people of Mali continue to practice the religion of their ancestors in the midst of an increasingly Muslim nation. The men’s Ci Wara society, named for the mythical inventor of agriculture, performs ceremonies that celebrate agricultural skills and teach young men and women how to farm cooperatively. Ci Wara masquerades begin with two dancers wearing antelope crest masks, one representing a male (like the one here), the other a female. The male antelope represents the life-sustaining sun; the female is a metaphor for the earth.