Ciwara Bambara Headdress In Carved Wood And Basketwork, Mali, Early 20th Century

Very pleasant, singular and small Ciwara crest accompanied by its original headdress and which represents a stylized antelope leaning on a pangolin, the antelope is ridden by a woman, white horsehair has been added to the end of the horns.
The piece is carefully sculpted, notches decorate the bodies of the antelope and the pangolin.
Rattan, plant fiber, Cowrie, wood. Very beautiful velvety matte patina, Circa 1930

An animal called Ciwara is said to have taught the Bambara to cultivate the land and during agrarian ceremonies, the latter remember the myth through the stylized representation of an antelope whose name ci wara means "wild beast of the earth".
During these ritual ceremonies, the crest mask became the attribute of a costumed dancer who gave it life and speech.
Worn on top of the head and held in place by a kind of small wickerwork cap, these crests accompanied the dancers during rituals dedicated to agricultural work.
The masks leapt around the field in order to chase away evil spirits and to revive the seeds and restore vitality to the crops.