Dance crest “chiwara” / “tjiwara” / “ci-wara”, before 1918 ·  Mali, Bamana · ID: 3052802

Description

wood, pigments, plant fibers, animal hair,

The “chi wara” mask represents a composite animal combining features of the antelope, aardvark, and pangolin. All three animals are associated with breaking open and working the earth.

The mask thus embodies the mythical culture hero “chi wara”, who taught the Bamana people how to farm. Young men once performed with male and female mask pairs in dances that praised and instructed good farmers.

The object Dance crest “chiwara” / “tjiwara” / “ci-wara”, before 1918 with the object ID 3052802 was part of the auction Auction 106 on April 25, 2026. The object with the lot number 236 achieved a sales price of EUR 1,400 with an asking price of EUR 1,000.

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