Antelope dance crest "chiwara" / "tjiwara" / "ci-wara"
Mali, Bamana
not available anymore
Provenance
French CollectionSize
H: 28 cm
L: 51,5 cm
H: 11.0 inch
L: 20.3 inch
Description
wood, two-piece, metal, rest., base
The “tji wara” society members use a headdress representing, in the form of an antelope, the mythical being who taught men how to farm. The word “tji” means work and “wara” means animal, thus “working animal.”
The purpose of the “tji wara” association was to encourage cooperation among all members of the community to ensure a successful crop.
They also perform at farming contests that recognize a champion farmer. Always performing together in a male and female pair, the coupling of the antelope masqueraders speaks of fertility and agricultural abundance.