Bambara Chi Wara Headdress

Carved to honor the mythical being Ci Wara, a Bambara deity that’s half mortal and half animal, this wooden headdress combines the graceful head and horns of an antelope with the compact body of an anteater. Credited with the discovery of agriculture, Ci Wara is invoked in performances that celebrate the act of farming and the fruits of harvest. Masterfully carved in the horizontal northern Bambara style, the abstract form of this headdress engages with its surroundings with balance and restraint.