West Africa, Mali, Bamana (also Bambara or Banmana), ca. early 20th century. A beautiful example of a Chiwara (also Tji Wara), a ritual mask used by the Bamana people in dances and rituals. This horizontal, antelope-shaped carving, would have been perched atop a basketry base and worn with a raffia costume by a dancer. It features short, bent legs on a flat integral base, a long arched body with a raised tail embellished with painted hide and animal hair, a long neck wrapped in hide and strands of red glass beads, a large head with pointed ears, an open mouth with a revealed tongue, a tassel on the forehead, extremely long, curved horns, and twisted fiber strands, cowry shell, and a blue bead adorning the buttocks. Size: 14.9" L x 11.9" H (37.8 cm x 30.2 cm)
To the Bamana peoples, the antelope is regarded as a mythical being who taught humankind how to farm. The word tji means "work" and the word wara means "animal". Hence, tji wara means "working animal."
Provenance: ex-private Dr. Peter Horvath collection, Massachusetts and Florida, USA; ex-Old private New England, USA collection, acquired in the 1970s
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#156725
Condition
Fissure near tip of one horn, with small chips along break lines without adhesive. Abrasions and fading to brown pigment, with light encrustations in some recessed areas, and age-commensurate desiccation to fibrous components, and loosening to head atop neck. Fine, deep, oily, saturated, aged patina.