Ram's head - Bozo - Mali

Very ancient Bozo ram head from Mali, from the collection of the well-known painter Armand Avril. It was presented at an exhibition in his village Cotignanc in the Var in 2020 and was the subject of an exhibition catalog publication, and is even on the exhibition’s presentation page; certainly from the very beginning of the 20th century and in fairly good condition. This emblematic piece of SOGOBO art (puppet theater) of the Bozo people represents the whole fauna of Mali and dances during the annual festivities of the Niger River, because the Bozo are fishermen. The base is made of very heavy hardwood, covered with red cotton fabric and enhanced with brass plates across the entire head, all colored. A museum-quality piece with a fine provenance, to which I would attach a copy of the exhibition catalog. Careful shipping in a registered, trackable parcel.