FEMALE BAMBARA TCHI WARA with BABY-MALI -31" TALL

Pricing & History

Sold for
Start Free Trial or Sign In to see what it's worth.
Sold Date
Source eBay

BAMBARA TJI WARA ANTELOPE MASK MALI 31" TALL IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. WOOD, LEATHER, HAIR, BRASS ESTIMATED AGE AT 30 + YEARS OLD Tji Wara (Chi wara) - Tji Waras are "danced" twice a year, for the planting, and again after the harvest to honor the best farmer in the village. Sometimes the figure is above another animal, not always clearly definable as to species. The antelope represents the mythical character who taught the Bambara how to cultivate the land. The horn is a symbol of the millet's growth.For a fascionating discussion of Bamana sculptors, see Brett-Smith's THE MAKING OF BAMANA SCULPTURE-CREATIVITY AND GENDER, and superb examples in BAMANA-THE ART OF EXISTENCE IN MALI, edited by Colleyn. The largest and most powerful tribe in the Western Sudan, the Bambara live in the open savanna to the southwest of the Dogon. Though they are Moslem, they maintain many of their ancient religious rites, which are principally concerned with agriculture and the fertility of the land. Among the best known of the Bambara associations is the tji wara . In the past the purpose of the Tji Wara association was to encourage cooperation among all members of the community to ensure a successful crop. In recent time, however, the Bambara concept of tji wara has become associated with the notion of good farmer, and the tji wara masqueraders are regarded as a farming beast. The Bambara sponsor farming contests w the tji wara masqueraders perform. Always performing together in a male and female pair, the coupling of the antelope masqueraders speaks of fertility and agricultural abundance. According to one interpretation, the male antelope represents the sun and the female the earth. The antelope imagery of the carved headdress was inspired by a Bambara myth that recounts the story of a mythical beast (half antelope and half human) who introduced agriculture to the Bambara people. The dance performed by the masqueraders mimes the movements of the antelope. This artifact presents a very unusual image of the tji wara From the artistic point of view the tji wara are probably the finest examples of stylized African art, for with a delicate play of line the sensitive carvings display the natural beauty of the living antelope. APPROXIMATE VALUE $ 400.00 SHIPPING $ 23.00 - USA $ 36.00 INTERNATIONAL *** Please note that all old used Arts will have minor imperfections, chips, age cracks and other minor irregularities.*** If you cannot live with that or want a perfect piece, Please do not bid as old used items are never perfect. I will try my best to point out anything beyond that in my item descriptions. PLEASE READ THE LISTING BEFORE BIDDING . DO NOT BID IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO PAY. Return Policy: All items purchased can be returned for a CREDIT within 14 days if item is not as described (minus shipping costs). POLICIES : Buyer prepays, plus shipping and handling. , INSURANCE is INCLUDED Winning bidders outside of the United States get Air Mail. After the auction has ended, I will send you email notification of your winning bid, requesting your shipping information. Upon your reply, due within 3 business days, I will email you with complete information for mailing in your payment or charging through PayPal (available for U.S. customers and now most International countries). Payments are due within 14 days from close of auction. Seller reserves the right to relist item if payment is not received within stated time. Please check out my feedback comments left by ALL MY satisfied customers regarding my accuracy of descriptions, quality of merchandise and care in shipping. As an Ebay Power Seller we guarantee our descriptions to be accu... read more

Items in the Price Guide are obtained exclusively from licensors and partners solely for our members’ research needs.

Flag item for content or copyright

If this item contains incorrect or inappropriate information please contact us here to flag it for review.

If you are the originator/copyright holder of this photo/item and would prefer it be excluded from our community, contact us here for removal.