Chiwara Mask - Bamana
The intricately carved mask seen here was made by the Bamana people. This particular mask is representative of an antelope, though very abstracted. The curled, humped figure at the mask's base represents the pangolin, which burrows into the earth; the mask's horns invoke the grace and strength of the roan antelope.[1] The antelope’s power is a metaphor for the successful farmer who tills his fields like a machine. These masks are worn on the heads of two dancers, one male and one female. This is symbolic of fertile ground and bountiful harvest. Each town’s best farmer gets the honor of dancing this mask complete with raffia and cloth costume.
[1] Jean-Paul Colleyn, “Bamana Identity, State Formation, and the Sources of Bamana Art,” American Anthropologist 104, no. 3 (2002): 340.
[1] Jean-Paul Colleyn, “Bamana Identity, State Formation, and the Sources of Bamana Art,” American Anthropologist 104, no. 3 (2002): 340.