Image 6
Antelope Headdress
Mali (Bamana)
20th century
Wood, rattan, and cotton
9 5/8x 19 inches
Anonymous loan

• Chi Wara (CHEE war-a) was a hardworking animal who long ago taught the Bamana (BAH-man-a) peoples of west central Mali how to farm.
  
• Among some Bamana peoples, young men wear elaborate Chi Wara headdresses in dances and contests to encourage a successful crop.
  
• The long curving forms of this Chi Wara headdress emphasize those aspects of the antelope most admired by the Bamana people.
  

Chi Wara was the offspring of a snake and the first person, a woman called Mousso Koroni (moo-sew core-OH-nee), meaning "little old woman." From infancy Chi Wara tilled the earth using his claws and a sunsun tree stick his mother gave him. He magically transformed weeds into millet and corn and taught people to do the same. He also taught them the value of hard work. Thanks to Chi Wara, the people became excellent and prosperous farmers.

When crops were plentiful the people forgot about the lessons of the farming animal and became less conscientious about their farming. Chi Wara, disheartened, buried himself in the earth. Then the people began to have difficulties with their crops. When they realized that Chi Wara was gone, they were sorry they had taken him for granted. They created a small mound in which his spirit could reside forever. They also created dance headdresses in the form of the farming animal, to honor him and to remind themselves of the virtues he had taught.

The Bamana
Most Bamana communities rely on farming for their survival. Living in west central Mali in Africa, Bamana farmers must struggle to produce crops from the poor soil of the dry savanna land. Traditional Bamana religious beliefs and ritual glorify agriculture and honor successful farmers.

The ideal Bamana farmer works the land from sunrise to sunset, never straying from his task. He hoes with pride, perseverance, and joy. His fields are always free of weeds, and his harvests are always of the highest quality. This ideal farmer, therefore, must be strong in body and spirit, conscientious, and determined. While few can achieve this ideal, those who do or who come close are called Chi Wara. Chi Wara translates as "farming animal" and is understood in most Bamana villages to mean "excellent farmer."

Chi Wara Performance
At planting time, many young Bamana farmers compete in a hoeing contest. Friends and relatives cheer them on and masked male dancers wearing elegantly carved Chi Wara headdresses in the form of antelopes perform to honor and encourage them. Chi Wara, though not an antelope, has come to be associated with this elegant animal whose grace and strength are held up as desirable qualities for champion farmers. The antelope's prolific reproduction rate also associates it with fertility and successful growth.

Chi Wara performers dance in pairs, representing the male and female antelope. The male is associated with the sun, and the female, almost always shown with a baby on her back, the earth. Together they symbolize the necessity of cooperation between the sun and earth and men and women to the survival of the Bamana. Their fiber costumes represent the equally essential water.

Bent over and leaning on two short sticks of sunsun wood as forelegs, the Chi Wara dancers move to the powerful rhythms of drums and women's songs of praise for the farmers. Inviting the hoers to mimic them, the dancers bend their heads like antelopes, as if to break the earth with their horns. The male's dance is the more athletic, incorporating leaps and passages of fast running. The male makes screeching noises, while the female is silent.

As the Bamana respond to the influence of other cultures, especially the growing popularity of Islam, many of their own traditions have become diluted. The men's associations that once maintained social control and oversaw village masquerades are losing their significance. As a result, many masquerades have ceased altogether. The annual ceremonies to honor Chi Wara are practiced only rarely today, and few Bamana know the entire legend of Chi Wara.

Antelope Headdress
This Chi Wara headdress, sculpted by an artist of the western Bamana, represents a male antelope with long sweeping horns and neck. The exaggerated horns, nearly twice the length of his body, dominate the figure. On each side, the animal's long ear continues the sweeping line of these horns. The prominent ears stress the value of hearing to the Bamana; when a man hears of ancestral accomplishments, he is encouraged to aspire to the same legendary virtues. The figure has almond-shaped eyes and a short mane. Its head rests on top of a long collared neck, which extends from its small body.

The animal's back is slightly curved and its tail is tightly curled. Its hind and front legs are bent, perhaps in anticipation of a leap. The long curving lines of his head, horns, and body and the spaces created by his bent legs and curly tail form a graceful silhouette. PATTERNS of lines animate the figure: curving diagonal lines wrapping around Chi Wara's horns, smaller lines run down his head and back, a band of crisscrosses decorates his face, and a row of three triangles lines his snout.

The wooden form of Chi Wara is attached to a basketlike cap made from rattan, cotton, and leather.

Look
1. Tell the story of Chi Wara. Look carefully at the headdress made by a Bamana artist to represent Chi Wara. What kind of animal is Chi Wara? Remember that the Bamana people live in the country of Mali on the continent of Africa, so it has to be an animal familiar to them. (Antelope. You may want to display a picture of an antelope for students to compare with the headdress.) How can you tell? (Horns, small tail, legs and body are like those of a deer or antelope; head is shaped like a deer or antelope.) Is this how you pictured Chi Wara as you listened to the story? Explain.

2. Where do you see straight lines in this sculpture? (Bent legs are made up of straight lines and angles; straight lines are incised on the animal's snout, head, and back.) Where do you see curved lines? (Curved lines make up the animal's head, neck, horns, body, and tail. Curved lines are incised on the horns and body.) Which lines are more important in this headdress, curved or straight? (Curved.) What effect do all these long curves have on the overall feeling of the sculpture? (Curved lines give the sculpture a graceful, flowing, elegant feeling.)

3. POSITIVE SHAPES occupy space, just like you do. The spaces around positive shapes are called NEGATIVE SHAPES. Where are the negative shapes in this headdress? (The area between the legs, the large area between the top of the body and the animal's horns, and the area created by the curly tail.) Are any of them completely enclosed by positive shapes? Are there equal amounts of positive and negative shapes? (Yes.) How do the amounts of positive and negative shapes affect the balance of the sculpture? (An equal distribution of positive and negative shapes makes the sculpture appear balanced.)

4. An artist who makes NATURALISTIC sculpture tries to make an object appear as it would if you saw the real thing in nature. An artist who makes ABSTRACT sculpture exaggerates certain features and details, while leaving other details out of the sculpture. Do you think this animal looks naturalistic or abstract? (Abstract.) Which features did the artist exaggerate? (Horns, ears, and head are large in contrast to the small body. Neck is very long and large compared to the rest of the body. The snout is elongated. The curve of the animal's back is exaggerated. Legs are extremely bent.)

2. What qualities or features does an antelope possess that would also be useful for a farmer? (Grace and physical strength. The long horns of the antelope can be compared to farm tools with long handles such as the hoe. The antelope's ability to reproduce frequently can be associated with successful crops.)

3. Why might dancers wear Chi Wara headdresses like this one to encourage Bamana farmers to work hard to produce successful crops? (Headdresses honor Chi Wara, reminding Bamana people of how Chi Wara taught farmers to be prosperous. Dancers remind the farmers that the antelope's strength and reproduction are qualities that can help them be successful farmers.)

4. This headdress is an example of sculptural art made for a specific occasion. Can you think of things you see around you that are designed by artists for a specific occasion? (Jewelry such as wedding rings; hats for special occasions, such as yarmulkes and Easter bonnets; Christmas ornaments and decorations; the list is endless!)