Bamana Headcrest "Chiwara"
Mali
Wood, metal
19th century
15 1/4" x 18"
Provenance: Vincenzo Casale, Brussels
Tribal Art Society front cover, June 29, 2022
Renaud Vanuxem. Paris
A remarkable early example with old native metal repairs.
Among the Bamana people of Mali, traditional stories credited a mythical being called Ci Wara, a magical being half animal and half human, with the introduction of agriculture to the Bamana. Their society was primarily agricultural, and these stylized wooden headdresses, called chiwara, were carved to honor this mythical being, whose guidance taught humans how to cultivate the land and become prosperous farmers. When humans gradually became careless with the land, Ci Wara was said to have buried himself in the earth. The Bamana created the chiwara headdress as a power object, a receptacle for the spirit of the buried Ci Wara to reside. These headdresses were carved with the physical features believed to represent the Ci Wara including the antelope and the earth-digging aardvark and pangolin, all creatures that were important to the Bamana culture, as they excelled in moving and turning soil, activities critical to the success of farming.
The chiwara headdresses were incorporated with a performers body costume that was comprised of long and darkly dyed raffia fibers that stretched from the base of the headdress to the ground. As the skilled performer danced in choreographed movements, the raffia fibers would sway and bounce, intended to mimic the graceful movements of the antelope. The chiwara performances would commence outside of the village in the fields, where they would encourage the Bamana farmers as they worked the land. The performances would then travel towards the village center where the returning farmers would be praised for the day’s efforts. These performances traditionally featured a pair of headdresses, one with a male aspect and one female. Worn by two skilled male dancers, the male and female headdresses symbolized the pair of elemental forces on which life depends.
Mali
Wood, metal
19th century
15 1/4" x 18"
Provenance: Vincenzo Casale, Brussels
Tribal Art Society front cover, June 29, 2022
Renaud Vanuxem. Paris
A remarkable early example with old native metal repairs.
Among the Bamana people of Mali, traditional stories credited a mythical being called Ci Wara, a magical being half animal and half human, with the introduction of agriculture to the Bamana. Their society was primarily agricultural, and these stylized wooden headdresses, called chiwara, were carved to honor this mythical being, whose guidance taught humans how to cultivate the land and become prosperous farmers. When humans gradually became careless with the land, Ci Wara was said to have buried himself in the earth. The Bamana created the chiwara headdress as a power object, a receptacle for the spirit of the buried Ci Wara to reside. These headdresses were carved with the physical features believed to represent the Ci Wara including the antelope and the earth-digging aardvark and pangolin, all creatures that were important to the Bamana culture, as they excelled in moving and turning soil, activities critical to the success of farming.
The chiwara headdresses were incorporated with a performers body costume that was comprised of long and darkly dyed raffia fibers that stretched from the base of the headdress to the ground. As the skilled performer danced in choreographed movements, the raffia fibers would sway and bounce, intended to mimic the graceful movements of the antelope. The chiwara performances would commence outside of the village in the fields, where they would encourage the Bamana farmers as they worked the land. The performances would then travel towards the village center where the returning farmers would be praised for the day’s efforts. These performances traditionally featured a pair of headdresses, one with a male aspect and one female. Worn by two skilled male dancers, the male and female headdresses symbolized the pair of elemental forces on which life depends.
Mali
Wood, metal
19th century
15 1/4" x 18"
Provenance: Vincenzo Casale, Brussels
Tribal Art Society front cover, June 29, 2022
Renaud Vanuxem. Paris
A remarkable early example with old native metal repairs.
Among the Bamana people of Mali, traditional stories credited a mythical being called Ci Wara, a magical being half animal and half human, with the introduction of agriculture to the Bamana. Their society was primarily agricultural, and these stylized wooden headdresses, called chiwara, were carved to honor this mythical being, whose guidance taught humans how to cultivate the land and become prosperous farmers. When humans gradually became careless with the land, Ci Wara was said to have buried himself in the earth. The Bamana created the chiwara headdress as a power object, a receptacle for the spirit of the buried Ci Wara to reside. These headdresses were carved with the physical features believed to represent the Ci Wara including the antelope and the earth-digging aardvark and pangolin, all creatures that were important to the Bamana culture, as they excelled in moving and turning soil, activities critical to the success of farming.
The chiwara headdresses were incorporated with a performers body costume that was comprised of long and darkly dyed raffia fibers that stretched from the base of the headdress to the ground. As the skilled performer danced in choreographed movements, the raffia fibers would sway and bounce, intended to mimic the graceful movements of the antelope. The chiwara performances would commence outside of the village in the fields, where they would encourage the Bamana farmers as they worked the land. The performances would then travel towards the village center where the returning farmers would be praised for the day’s efforts. These performances traditionally featured a pair of headdresses, one with a male aspect and one female. Worn by two skilled male dancers, the male and female headdresses symbolized the pair of elemental forces on which life depends.