Cimier Tywara / Chi wara - Bambara - Mali
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Selected by Dimitri André
Holds a postgraduate degree in African studies and 15 years experience in African art.
Estimate € 150 - € 200
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Cimier Tywara, a Bambara wooden mask from Mali, made of bois, original/officiel, sold with stand, dimensions 490 mm long by 100 mm wide by 210 mm high.
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Description from the seller
Mali
Bambara
Bois
Length: 490mm
Width: 100mm
Height: 210mm
Mask / crest "Tywara" African wooden headdress of the Bambara (Bamana) people from Mali -
This crest is a symbolic ritual artwork of the Bambara people (or Bamana), predominantly located in Mali, in the Sahel region of West Africa. This horizontally oriented carved piece is a dance crest of a zoomorphic nature called Tyi Wara (or Chiwara).
It is precisely a rare and fascinating stylistic variant: a composite Tyi Wara, combining attributes of the aardvark (oryctère), pangolin and crocodile.
1. Stylistic characteristics and composite morphology
While the Bougouni or Ségou regions are famous for their vertical, slender Tyi Wara antelopes, the western and northern regions of the Bambara country (notably Kaarta or Bélédougou) favor a horizontal, heavier, composite approach. Photographs highlight this genius of hybridization:
The body of the pangolin / oryctérope: The base of the sculpture represents a stocky quadruped, crouched on bent legs and topped with a small raised tail. Its body is entirely carved with rhythmic geometric patterns (triangles and cross-line incisions), simulating both the protective scales of the pangolin and the graphics of cultivated fields.
The head and mouth of the crocodile: The long vertical neck supports a monumental head projected forward. The mouth is immense, straightly opened, evoking a aquatic reptile or river predator, symbol of power and mastery of the fluvial elements.
The horizontal horns of the antelope: The top of the head has pointed ears and small twisted horns. From these horns extend two enormous foliar appendages backward, carved horizontally and curved upward at their tips. This double structure is deeply engraved with successive chevrons imitating the mane or the texture of the hippo antelope horns.
The patina and the base: The piece bears a dark, matte patina of use, evidencing handling. The rectangular wooden base integrates small discreet holes that originally allowed it to be securely attached to a wicker bonnet, itself placed on the dancer's head.
2. Ritual use: The agrarian cult of the Tyi Wara
Among the Bambara, the Tyi Wara designates both a mythical entity, a male secret society, and the crest itself. Its function is exclusively tied to the land, to the community’s survival, and to the sacralization of agricultural work.
The myth of the "Beast of the earth": According to Bamana cosmology, Tyi Wara was a being half-human, half-animal born from Mother Earth. With its powerful claws (inspired by the aardvark) and its horns, it taught humans to till the soil, sow grain, and cultivate millet, transforming the barren brush into nourished fields. When humans became lazy and forgot its benefits, he disappeared underground. Initiates then carved these crests to preserve his memory and invoke his spirit.
The onset of the rainy season: The masks are worn in pairs (a male and a female) at the time of sowing or harvest, during the Fêtes of the Tyi Wara society. Dancers, young skilled farmers, have their faces hidden beneath long black raffia fibers fixed to the crest.
The agrarian choreography: Leaning forward, supported on two canes simulating the animal’s forelegs, the dancers imitate the bounding movements of the antelope and the digging of the aardvark to the sound of women’s songs. This magico-religious performance aims to spur farmers’ ardor, to encourage youth toward physical labor, and to call for rain and fertility on the soil.
3. Symbolic meaning of hybridization
This horizontal crest is a condensed set of ecological metaphors indispensable for survival in the Sahelian environment:
The antelope embodies the sun, the masculine element and the fire essential for plant growth.
The aardvark / pangolin, fossorial animals par excellence, represent the earth, the peasant’s tilling work, and the link with the subterranean world.
The crocodile (or the sinuous motifs of the mane), associated with water and rivers, symbolizes the rain essential for germination.
By fusing these three realms within a single sculpture, the Bambara visually synthesize the sacred alliance of the three cosmological elements indispensable to life: the Sun, the Earth and Water.
This crest is extremely stylized, and this form may have inspired Cubist painters at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.
Items are sent with tracking number.
Delivery in France by Chronopost in 1 to 2 days. Delivery within the European Union by Chronopost International in 3 to 5 days. Delivery by Colissimo International for the rest of Europe and for the entire world.
We speak english.
Mask african art Afrikanische Maskenkunst arte de máscaras africanas arte delle maschere africane
statue african art Arte de estatuas africanas arte delle statue africane Afrikanische Maskenkunst
Máscara de estatua de galería de arte africano
Seller's Story
Passionate about World Arts and more specifically about African Art, we buy from collectors, former officials, military, health workers, public works staff who have worked in Africa and also in Côte d'Ivoire, from antique dealers and traders who roam across West Africa to find quality objects.
It is with pride that we present works that, beyond their power to beautify spaces, invite our collectors to resonate with the richness and depth of human expression through the most authentic art.
At Arts Ethniques Gallery, we have the privilege of offering our visitors an exclusive selection of artworks, all unique and original. Each piece presented is the outcome of a demanding artistic approach, driven by a singular vision and mastered craftsmanship, all elements that guarantee authenticity and value.
The works we offer are not industrial reproductions. They are individual creations, crafted with sensitivity and precision, each bearing its own story, identity and presence. Originality is the very foundation of our commitment to excellence. Thus, every mask and every statue in our collection is the subject of a rigorous selection, in order to preserve their rarity and singularity.
Acquiring a work from Arts Ethniques Gallery means owning a truly unique piece: a creation that embodies both talent, cultural memory and the expressive force of African art. It is also a lasting investment in a work whose artistic and emotional value transcends time.
We guarantee that every work leaving our gallery is an authentic piece, without replicas, bearing witness to the creativity, heritage and passion of the African artists who shaped them.
We invite you to participate in our gallery’s auctions with confidence. Each presented work is an original, unique and irreplaceable creation, selected with the greatest rigor to guarantee its authenticity and artistic value.
Whether you wish to enrich a personal collection or introduce an exceptional artwork into your space, Arts Ethniques Gallery offers a safe, transparent and professional setting to acquire remarkable pieces.
Art auctions are a privileged moment to discover rare works, capable of becoming the heart of a collection. Acquiring a work at our sales is not just buying an object: it is investing in a creation whose aesthetic value and cultural reach reinforce over time.
The pieces presented by Arts Ethniques Gallery testify not only to the talent and vision of the artists but also possess the ability to transform spaces and enrich the gaze of those who behold them.
Participating in our auctions is taking part in a singular experience, where the passion for art meets the rigors of collecting. Bidding on a work from Arts Ethniques Gallery goes beyond a simple transaction: it is a gesture of commitment and appreciation for art in its most authentic form.
We invite you to bid with passion and to join us in this adventure dedicated to discovery, transmission and celebration of art.
Perhaps your next heart piece is already waiting for you."
Translated by Google TranslateMali
Bambara
Bois
Length: 490mm
Width: 100mm
Height: 210mm
Mask / crest "Tywara" African wooden headdress of the Bambara (Bamana) people from Mali -
This crest is a symbolic ritual artwork of the Bambara people (or Bamana), predominantly located in Mali, in the Sahel region of West Africa. This horizontally oriented carved piece is a dance crest of a zoomorphic nature called Tyi Wara (or Chiwara).
It is precisely a rare and fascinating stylistic variant: a composite Tyi Wara, combining attributes of the aardvark (oryctère), pangolin and crocodile.
1. Stylistic characteristics and composite morphology
While the Bougouni or Ségou regions are famous for their vertical, slender Tyi Wara antelopes, the western and northern regions of the Bambara country (notably Kaarta or Bélédougou) favor a horizontal, heavier, composite approach. Photographs highlight this genius of hybridization:
The body of the pangolin / oryctérope: The base of the sculpture represents a stocky quadruped, crouched on bent legs and topped with a small raised tail. Its body is entirely carved with rhythmic geometric patterns (triangles and cross-line incisions), simulating both the protective scales of the pangolin and the graphics of cultivated fields.
The head and mouth of the crocodile: The long vertical neck supports a monumental head projected forward. The mouth is immense, straightly opened, evoking a aquatic reptile or river predator, symbol of power and mastery of the fluvial elements.
The horizontal horns of the antelope: The top of the head has pointed ears and small twisted horns. From these horns extend two enormous foliar appendages backward, carved horizontally and curved upward at their tips. This double structure is deeply engraved with successive chevrons imitating the mane or the texture of the hippo antelope horns.
The patina and the base: The piece bears a dark, matte patina of use, evidencing handling. The rectangular wooden base integrates small discreet holes that originally allowed it to be securely attached to a wicker bonnet, itself placed on the dancer's head.
2. Ritual use: The agrarian cult of the Tyi Wara
Among the Bambara, the Tyi Wara designates both a mythical entity, a male secret society, and the crest itself. Its function is exclusively tied to the land, to the community’s survival, and to the sacralization of agricultural work.
The myth of the "Beast of the earth": According to Bamana cosmology, Tyi Wara was a being half-human, half-animal born from Mother Earth. With its powerful claws (inspired by the aardvark) and its horns, it taught humans to till the soil, sow grain, and cultivate millet, transforming the barren brush into nourished fields. When humans became lazy and forgot its benefits, he disappeared underground. Initiates then carved these crests to preserve his memory and invoke his spirit.
The onset of the rainy season: The masks are worn in pairs (a male and a female) at the time of sowing or harvest, during the Fêtes of the Tyi Wara society. Dancers, young skilled farmers, have their faces hidden beneath long black raffia fibers fixed to the crest.
The agrarian choreography: Leaning forward, supported on two canes simulating the animal’s forelegs, the dancers imitate the bounding movements of the antelope and the digging of the aardvark to the sound of women’s songs. This magico-religious performance aims to spur farmers’ ardor, to encourage youth toward physical labor, and to call for rain and fertility on the soil.
3. Symbolic meaning of hybridization
This horizontal crest is a condensed set of ecological metaphors indispensable for survival in the Sahelian environment:
The antelope embodies the sun, the masculine element and the fire essential for plant growth.
The aardvark / pangolin, fossorial animals par excellence, represent the earth, the peasant’s tilling work, and the link with the subterranean world.
The crocodile (or the sinuous motifs of the mane), associated with water and rivers, symbolizes the rain essential for germination.
By fusing these three realms within a single sculpture, the Bambara visually synthesize the sacred alliance of the three cosmological elements indispensable to life: the Sun, the Earth and Water.
This crest is extremely stylized, and this form may have inspired Cubist painters at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.
Items are sent with tracking number.
Delivery in France by Chronopost in 1 to 2 days. Delivery within the European Union by Chronopost International in 3 to 5 days. Delivery by Colissimo International for the rest of Europe and for the entire world.
We speak english.
Mask african art Afrikanische Maskenkunst arte de máscaras africanas arte delle maschere africane
statue african art Arte de estatuas africanas arte delle statue africane Afrikanische Maskenkunst
Máscara de estatua de galería de arte africano
Seller's Story
Passionate about World Arts and more specifically about African Art, we buy from collectors, former officials, military, health workers, public works staff who have worked in Africa and also in Côte d'Ivoire, from antique dealers and traders who roam across West Africa to find quality objects.
It is with pride that we present works that, beyond their power to beautify spaces, invite our collectors to resonate with the richness and depth of human expression through the most authentic art.
At Arts Ethniques Gallery, we have the privilege of offering our visitors an exclusive selection of artworks, all unique and original. Each piece presented is the outcome of a demanding artistic approach, driven by a singular vision and mastered craftsmanship, all elements that guarantee authenticity and value.
The works we offer are not industrial reproductions. They are individual creations, crafted with sensitivity and precision, each bearing its own story, identity and presence. Originality is the very foundation of our commitment to excellence. Thus, every mask and every statue in our collection is the subject of a rigorous selection, in order to preserve their rarity and singularity.
Acquiring a work from Arts Ethniques Gallery means owning a truly unique piece: a creation that embodies both talent, cultural memory and the expressive force of African art. It is also a lasting investment in a work whose artistic and emotional value transcends time.
We guarantee that every work leaving our gallery is an authentic piece, without replicas, bearing witness to the creativity, heritage and passion of the African artists who shaped them.
We invite you to participate in our gallery’s auctions with confidence. Each presented work is an original, unique and irreplaceable creation, selected with the greatest rigor to guarantee its authenticity and artistic value.
Whether you wish to enrich a personal collection or introduce an exceptional artwork into your space, Arts Ethniques Gallery offers a safe, transparent and professional setting to acquire remarkable pieces.
Art auctions are a privileged moment to discover rare works, capable of becoming the heart of a collection. Acquiring a work at our sales is not just buying an object: it is investing in a creation whose aesthetic value and cultural reach reinforce over time.
The pieces presented by Arts Ethniques Gallery testify not only to the talent and vision of the artists but also possess the ability to transform spaces and enrich the gaze of those who behold them.
Participating in our auctions is taking part in a singular experience, where the passion for art meets the rigors of collecting. Bidding on a work from Arts Ethniques Gallery goes beyond a simple transaction: it is a gesture of commitment and appreciation for art in its most authentic form.
We invite you to bid with passion and to join us in this adventure dedicated to discovery, transmission and celebration of art.
Perhaps your next heart piece is already waiting for you."
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Indigenous object name
Cimier Tywara / Chi wara
Ethnic group/ culture
Bambara
Country of Origin
Mali
Material
Wood
Sold with stand
Yes
Condition
Good condition
Authenticity
Original/official
Sold by
