Mask - Mali (No reserve price)

originally

Among the Bamana of Mali, traditional narratives attribute the introduction of agriculture to a mythical being named Ci Wara, half-human, half-animal. Their society was primarily agricultural, and these stylized wooden headdresses, called chiwara, were carved in honor of this mythical being, whose teachings taught humans to cultivate the land and to become prosperous farmers. When humans gradually became neglectful of the land, Ci Wara would have buried himself. The Bamana then created the chiwara headdress as an object of power, a receptacle for the spirit of Ci Wara. These headdresses were carved with physical features intended to represent Ci Wara, notably the antelope, the aardvark, and the pangolin, all burrowers and animals important to Bamana culture, because they excelled in working the land, essential activities for the success of agriculture.

The chiwara headdresses were integrated into the dancers' costumes.