Pair of Headdresses (Tyi Wara Kunw) — Art Hub

Bamana Baninko region, Mali Northern Africa and the Sahel

Pair of Headdresses (Tyi Wara Kunw)

INV-1895

Bamana Baninko region, Mali Northern Africa and the SahelMid–19th to early 20th century

Pair of Headdresses (Tyi Wara Kunw)

Bamana Baninko region, Mali Northern Africa and the Sahel →

bamanaArts of Africaafrican ArtNorthern Africa and the Sahelheaddress - miscplant fiber

Date

Mid–19th to early 20th century

Medium

Wood, metal, brass tacks, and grasses

Dimensions

Left: 98.4 × 40.9 × 10.8 cm (38 3/4 × 16 1/8 × 4 1/4 in.); Right: 79.4 × 31.8 × 7.6 cm (31 1/4 × 12 1/2 × 3 in.)

Museum

Art Institute of Chicago

Location

Chicago, IL

Credit

The Art Institute of Chicago, Ada Turnbull Hertle Endowment

These headdresses were all worn by men in male-female pairs during performances celebrating the mythical farming beast named Chiwara, which introduced the Bamana people to agriculture. The rituals motivated young men to work hard. Each headdress combines the graceful horns of an antelope with the body of an aardvark. A young male calf sits upon the female’s back, symbolizing the fertile union of men and women and of the earth and the sun.

Also notable

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