Headdress (ciwara)
Artist Unidentified
20th century
Object PlaceMali
Medium/Techniquewood, metal
DimensionsOverall: 32.4 x 8 x 59.5 cm (12 3/4 x 3 1/8 x 23 7/16 in.)
Credit LineGift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession number2009.2573
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. The antelope is an important figure in the agricultural life of the Bamana and was responsible for teaching men the art of farming. Ci wara masquerades appeared at agricultural competitions, annual celebrations, and for public entertainment.
ProvenanceGeneviève 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)
Artist Unidentified