A very old and abstract Chiwara headdress sculpture from the Bamana ( Bambara ) peoples of Mali, West Africa. This figure measures 21.5 inches tall.Among the Bamana, oral traditions credit a mythical being named Chi Wara, a divine being half mortal and half animal, with the introduction of agriculture to the Bamana. Bamana society is primarily an agricultural one; even today the majority of Bamana peoples are subsistence farmers. These headdresses, also called chi wara, are carved to honor that original mythical being. Under Chi Wara's guidance, humans first learned to cultivate the land and became prosperous and able farmers. When humans gradually became careless and wasteful, however, Chi Wara is said to have buried himself in the earth. To honor Chi Wara's memory, the Bamana carve headdresses such as this one to represent him and wear them at agricultural festivals and ceremonies during harvest time.

Overall intact and well handled and worn