African Fine Arts - Masks - Chi Wara Headdress from Mali

Bamana Chi Wara Headdress (vertical type) - Mali
The religious and social life of the Bamana, who live in the southwestern area of Mali, was once determined by six initiation societies. Bamana males had to pass through these societies in succession, until, upon reaching the highest rank, they had acquired a comprehensive knowledge of ancestral traditions. Each stage of initiation was accompanied by the use of certain mask types, most of them based on animal form. Among the best known of these is the antelope headdress of the fifth society, Chi Wara, whose members performed ritual dances intended to ensure the fertility of the fields. The masqueraders always appeared in male-female pairs, symbolizing the sun and the earth and their significance for human life. At the same time, the representation of the male roan antelope which the Bamana call dega invoked the mythical primeval era when the animal gave the first grain to human beings and taught them how to till the soil. In spite of fundamental social changes, the Bamana in many rural regions have retained the tradition of Chi Wara masquerades, performed at the beginning and end of the agricultural cycle.
42" tall