Headdress (ciwara)
20th century
Object PlaceMali
Medium/Techniquewood, metal tacks
DimensionsOverall: 32.3 x 8 x 60 cm (12 11/16 x 3 1/8 x 23 5/8 in.)
Credit LineGift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession number2009.2572
On View
Not on viewClassificationsMasks
Collections
Antelope headdresses are part of a mask belonging to the members of the ci wara association, which initiates young men into adult tasks, among them the cultivation of the fields. However, modern agricultural equipment has changed the way in which ci wara headdresses are used. Ci wara headdresses have become symbolic of Malian culture and now appear at cultural festivals and political events. The headdresses have also become pan-African icons and are amongst the most recognizable and sought after works of art from the continent.
Provenance1963, sold by Galerie Carrefour, Paris, to Geneviève McMillan (b. 1922 - d. 2008), Cambridge, MA; 2008, to the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation, Cambridge; 2009, gift of the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 17, 2009)
early 20th century
