Large male Tji Wara head mask - Wood - Bambara - Mali - 93 cm

A beautiful large example of a Bamana antelope headdress with great patine of tribal use. No tourist piece. Members of the Tji-Wara society wear these headdresses, where the antelope agricultural skill, and derived from, sexual potency imagines. The headdress is worn during dances at harvest time and at the beginning of the rainy season, to encourage farmers. The powerful upright horns suggest vigor and alertness. The openwork zigzag patterns on the curved neck symbolize the passage of the sun across the sky. Provenance: Old Dutch private collection, This item is in good condition. Careful professional and registered sending