bamana 10 headdress

N'gonzun Koun Headress This true masterpiece was crafted in Mali's Bougouni region in the late nineteen twenties. Such headdresses designated by Zahan as "hquinusorizontal" ci wara, the third of his three categories of Bamana headdresses. these pieces were curved from two separate units, the head and the body subsequently joined together at the neck by a collar attached with nails, thus further emphasizing the creation of a unified entity out of two distinct animals, The upper part, that of a roan antelope (hippotragus equinus) and the lower of the aardvark. In an unparalleled stroke of genius, the antelope speed is further accentuated by a male figure clinging desperately to the antelope head, whose outstretched hands emphasize the inhuman effort needed to overcome the creature speed. One may be tempted to compare this Ci Wara masterpiece to Darel's and Lalique's art-nevue car mascots created during the same years in France.