Ci-wara Kun (Headdress)
Bamana
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Object Label
ART OF DOUBLES
Duality is present in art throughout the continent as an expression of essential concepts that drive human nature—from gender to humanity’s place in the cosmos. This pair of pairs illustrates some of the ways that artists have expressed these ideas.
Ere ibeji are carved by the Yoruba primarily as memorial figures for twins. Because twins are considered spiritually powerful beings, with power to provide considerable good or to inflict harm, ibeji figures are the focus of great personal interaction and care. Such figures are considered a point of access to the spirit of a departed twin, and an icon of status for a mother of twins.
Worn on the heads of male dancers, ci-wara headdresses are danced in male and female pairs to symbolize the fertility of land and animals. Each headdress represents an antelope, which for the Bamana is a metaphor for the successful farmer who tirelessly tills his fields.
Duality is present in art throughout the continent as an expression of essential concepts that drive human nature—from gender to humanity’s place in the cosmos. This pair of pairs illustrates some of the ways that artists have expressed these ideas.
Ere ibeji are carved by the Yoruba primarily as memorial figures for twins. Because twins are considered spiritually powerful beings, with power to provide considerable good or to inflict harm, ibeji figures are the focus of great personal interaction and care. Such figures are considered a point of access to the spirit of a departed twin, and an icon of status for a mother of twins.
Worn on the heads of male dancers, ci-wara headdresses are danced in male and female pairs to symbolize the fertility of land and animals. Each headdress represents an antelope, which for the Bamana is a metaphor for the successful farmer who tirelessly tills his fields.
Caption
Bamana. Ci-wara Kun (Headdress), late 19th–early 20th century. Wood, metal, 36 3/8 x 14 1/4 x 2 7/8 in. (92.4 x 36.2 x 7.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Rosemary and George Lois, 77.245.1. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Ci-wara Kun (Headdress)
Date
late 19th–early 20th century
Geography
Place made: Ségou, Koulikouro, or Sikasso Region, Mali
Medium
Wood, metal
Classification
Dimensions
36 3/8 x 14 1/4 x 2 7/8 in. (92.4 x 36.2 x 7.3 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Rosemary and George Lois
Accession Number
77.245.1
Frequent Art Questions
What was the importance of this kind of animal to the Bamana people?
Antelope were connected to fertility of animals and the land. They were a metaphor for the successful farmer who works hard to till his fields. The horns are said to represent ears of millet and the zig zag shape of the mane is thought to be a reference to the movements of the sun. The placement of the baby antelope on the back of the female headdress mirrors the way Bamana mothers carry their own children and references the link between animals, plants, and human fertility.
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