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48 - Bamana, Mali Ci wara crest, wood, H.
See original version (French)

Estimate €500 - €600

Description

Bamana, Mali Ci wara crest, wood, H. 67 cm – W. 18 cm (on a plinth). Ci wara crests, with their abstract and zoomorphic designs, are among the best-known works of Bamana art. They were once attached to woven fibre headdresses intended to be worn by dancers. Ci wara literally means ‘animal that scratches (the ground)’: these depictions of the hippotrague (antelope) refer to mythical times, that is to say, primitive times, when the animal is said to have provided the first seed and taught the Bamana people how to work the land. These ci wara headdresses were mainly worn during ritual ceremonies linked to the fertility of the fields and governed by the beginning and end of the agricultural cycle.

See original version (French)

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About the sale AFRICAN ART – TERRACOTTA FROM THE INDUS VALLEY – PRE-COLUMBIAN ART – OCEANIAN ART – HOPI CULTURE

Auction location

Auction time 06/24/2026 at 1:30 PM

Ref. : 3359 - 17

Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House

48 - Bamana, Mali Ci wara crest, wood, H. See original version (French)

48 - Bamana, Mali Ci wara crest, wood, H.
See original version (French)