Zemanek-Münster

Anthropo-zoomorphic face mask "ci-wara-ni kun" ·  Mali, Bozo / Mande, Kita Region · ID: 3050358

Price EUR 4,000
plus 27 % commission, VAT, transport and insurance
Provenance
Private Miami Collection, USA
Size
H: 87 cm
H: 34.3 inch

Description

wood, five animal horns, cowries, glass beads, mirrors were once attached to the round plaques made of beeswax

Like the “chiwara” antelope dance crests, “ci-wara-ni kun” accompanied the young farmers to the fields during planting competitions and tried to spur them on to top performance. However, “ci-wara-ni kun” was not worn on the head but in front of the face.

A formally and stylistically very similar object collected by Leiris & Griaule in 1931 is in the holdings of the Musée du quai Branly, Paris, France (Inv.no. 71.1931.74.635) and is published in Colleyn, 2001, p. 234, cat. 232 (see AHDRC 0079157).


The object Anthropo-zoomorphic face mask “ci-wara-ni kun” with the object ID 3050358 was part of the auction 101st Auction on November 11, 2023, lot number 205 at that time and is currently available for EUR 4,000 in Open sale.

You can find more Masks and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on African art.


Comparing literature

Colleyn, Jean Paul (Hg.), Bamana, Zürich 2001, p. 234, Kat. 232


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