Antelope dance crest "tjiwara" ·  Mali, Bamana · ID: 3034993

Description

wood, middle brown patina, tiny brass discs and nail heads forming the eyes, horizontal type with long projecting horns, the head carved separate, fixed by metal clamps (and inserted slice), the stylized head of a second antelope below, with cord attached to a wickerwork base, slightly dam., paint rubbed off, rep. (neck);
the religious and social life of the Bamana people was determined by six initiation communities. Each level of initiation was represented by a special mask type. The “tijwara” headdress belongs to the fifth level. Its members had to encourage a good harvest by celebrating their masquerades.The masks used to appear in pairs male-female, symbolizing the sun and the earth and their meaning for human life.

The object Antelope dance crest “tjiwara” with the object ID 3034993 was last part of the auction 73rd tribal art auction at May 25, 2013 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 128 achieved a sales price of EUR 8,000.

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Publications

Alain Bovis, Sculptures, Paris 2003, ill. 8