On View
Not on viewObject number2009.94
Bamana Chiwara Antelope Headdress
Artist
Unknown African
(African)
Date20th century
Mediumwood, beads, fiber, metal
DimensionsOverall: 15 1/2 in. × 20 in. × 4 in. (39.4 × 50.8 × 10.2 cm)
base: 2 1/2 in. × 9 3/4 in. × 4 in. (6.4 × 24.8 × 10.2 cm)
base: 2 1/2 in. × 9 3/4 in. × 4 in. (6.4 × 24.8 × 10.2 cm)
Credit LinePurchased with funds provided by an anonymous donor
Exhibition History"The Sculptor's Eye: The African Art Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Chaim Gross," Museum of African Art, Washington DC (1976); Worcester Art Museum (Nov. 5, 1976 - Jan. 2, 1977); Georgia Musuem of Art (Mar. 27 - May 1, 1977); Cincinnati Art Museum (May 17 - July 17, 1977).
"Lasting Legacy: A Collection for Kalamazoo," Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo, Michigan (Sep. 6, 2014 - Jan. 4, 2015).
"Africa, Imagined: Reflections on Modern and Contemporary Art," KIA Gallerys 3 & 4 (January 22 - May 1, 2022)Label TextThis headdress combines the long, curved horns of an antelope with a small, humped body—probably that of an aardvark. Both are animals that dig or paw the earth. The carved headdress represents Chi Wara, a spirit that Mali’s Bamana people believe taught them to farm. Headdresses are worn by dancers in ceremonies to honor Chi Wara’s gifts to the Bamana.
American sculptor Chaim Gross (1904-1991) once owned this object. Like many modern artists, he greatly admired and was influenced by African art, which he avidly collected from the 1920s-1960s.
