African Arts Gallery

Ci wara mask in carved wood representing a single schematic silhouette of antelopes whose heads emerge in superposition. The refined sculpture is devoid of ornamentation. Eroded wood, metal pupils. Established in central and southern Mali, the Bambara, "Bamana" or "unbelievers", as the Muslims have called them, belong to the large Mande group, like the Soninke and the Malinke. Sculpted by the blacksmith numu, who also plays the role of diviner and healer, this crest embodies the animal - genius Ciwara or "wild animal of the earth", who is said to have learned the Bambara to cultivate the land. Worn at the top of the skull and held in place by a basketry hat, these crests accompanied the dancers during the rituals of the tòn, an association dedicated to agricultural work. The masks traversed the field while leaping in order to chase away from it the nyama, malevolent effluvia, and to detect any danger, or to flush out the malevolent genii who could delight the soul of the cultivated plants as well as the vital force of their seeds.