BAMANA CHI WARA HEADDRESSES, MALI

This headdress has been vetted as being authentic with signs of use and age.

CHI WARA Horizontal 12 11"h. x 21.5" l. $1200

Despite their appearance, the headdresses below show no evidence of age or use and were probably made to be sold.

CHI WARA Horizontal 1 17.5"x 21.5" $400

CHI WARA Horizontal 2 11.5"x 22" $350

Bamana Chi Wara from Mali, represent and honor the mythological half man / half antelope hero who taught man how to cultivate the soil. They are worn as headdresses and danced as pairs. Spelled alternately Ci Wara, Tyi Wara, etc. they illustrate the diversity of ways to represent an unwritten pronunciation. There are three types of Chi Wara headdresses; the familiar vertical style of the eastern Bamana, the more realistic horizontal style of the northern Bamana and the varied and more abstract forms of the Southern Bamana. These are examples of the northern horizontal style. The head is usually carved separately from the body and attached by iron staples or a brace.