Headdress for Ci Wara Society

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Culture Bamana

Title Headdress for Ci Wara Society (Sogoni Kun, Ci Wara Kun)

Date Early 20th century

Medium Wood

Dimensions Object: 20 1/2 × 4 × 4 1/2 in. (52.1 × 10.2 × 11.4 cm)
Overall: 20 1/2 x 4 x 4 1/2 in. (52.1 x 10.2 x 11.4 cm)

Credit Line Raymond and Laura Wielgus Collection, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 87.24.3

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About this Work

For Westerners, antelope headdresses from the Bamana, the largest ethnic group in Mali, have become icons of African art. This antelope was undoubtedly sculpted by a man from a Bamana blacksmith clan, for, in addition to working iron, smiths are the traditional woodcarvers. As an apprentice, a boy learns to carve wood before he is taught to forge iron, first mastering the carving of knife and hoe handles and then moving on to more complicated creations. A man who shows great skill, such as the carver of this headdress, will earn a reputation that can draw clients from many miles.

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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Headdress for Ci Wara Society | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2024. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=87.24.3