Ciwara - Mali (No reserve price)

In Bamana society, the Ciwara honors the greatest workers in all spheres of active life. This decorative mask-and-crest is used during the rites of the Ciwara society, one of the six secret institutions that organize Bamana society. It is fixed on the heads of the dancers, all belonging to the Ciwara society, secured by a wicker hat. The dances of the Ciwara society are linked to agricultural rites and thus to the ideas of fertility, fecundity, and sowing. During these ceremonial rites, the mask becomes the attribute of a costumed dancer who gives it life and voice. Through movement, and especially through the wearer, the mask finds its meaning. The Ciwara dancers usually danced in pairs. These ceremonies take place in broad daylight, in the middle of the fields as well as in the village. They celebrate the mythical union between the sun, which reflects the male principle, and the earth, the female principle, while stimulating the ardor for work among young farmers.