Description:

West Africa, Mali, Bamana (also Bambara), ca. early 20th century CE. A Chiwara (also Chi Wara, Ci Wara) headdress depicting a mother and baby antelope, the baby rests upon the mother who stands atop a woven basketry cap. Chiwara is translated as "laboring wild animal," and while the form is primarily antelope-like, these headdresses are often a stylized representation that also incorporates features from digging animals, as the Chiwara is used as in farming and agriculture celebrations. The calf features a slender body with an arched neck and cotton cord tassels attached to the ears. The mother antelope is decorated with punched tin plates along the head and horns. Both men and women wear the Chiwara mask, but the women's versions usually contain a baby antelope and straight horns. Size: 12" L x 44" H (30.5 cm x 111.8 cm); 47.5" H (120.6 cm) on included custom stand.

Often described as an antelope, the Chi Wara is actually a composite animal - part antelope, part aardvark, and part pangolin. All of these animals are creatures that dig up the earth; while antelopes carve the ground with their hooves, the aardvark and pangolin use their claws to excavate termite mounds. This communion with the earth makes them ideal components of the Chi Wara, the supernatural being believed to have taught the Bamana people how to farm.

Provenance: private San Francisco, California, USA collection, acquired 1970s to 2000s

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#174148

  • Condition: Stable pressure fissures. Chips and small losses to high pointed areas: horns, and ears. Some fraying and unraveling to rim of cap. Patina throughout wood and metal areas.

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September 17, 2022 9:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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