BAMANA CHI WARA MALE HEADDRESSES, MALI

 CHI WARA
Male 11
50" high
$450

 CHI WARA
Male 6
51" high
$450

The headdresses below have been sold and are left here for reference and educational purposes.

 CHI WARA
Male 12
43" high
SOLD

 CHI WARA
Male 13
55" high
SOLD

 CHI WARA
Male 15
48.5" high
SOLD

 CHI WARA
Male 17
42" high
SOLD

 CHI WARA
Male 14
44" high
SOLD

CHI WARA
Male 16
47" high
SOLD

Photographs © Tim Hamill

BAMANA, Chi Wara Male Headdressses, Mali

Bamana Chi Wara from Mali, represent and honor the mythological half man / half antelope hero who taught man how to cultivate the soil. They were danced in pairs and celebrate the union of male (sun), female (earth) and fibre costume (rain), signifying the cooperation needed for a successful harvest and community survival. 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 eastern vertical style.

Despite their appearance, our Bamana headdresses were probably made to be sold.

GO TO BAMANA ART PAGE

GO TO BAMANA CHI WARA PAGE

GO TO BAMANA FEMALE CHIWARA PAGE

GO TO BAMANA MALE CHIWARA PAGE

GO TO BAMANA CHIWARA PAIRS PAGE

GO TO BAMANA ABSTRACT CHIWARA PAGE

GO TO BAMANA HORIZONTAL CHIWARA PAGE

GO TO MASKS AND HEADS PAGE

GO TO AFRICAN FIGURES PAGE

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