20th C. Mali Bamana Wood Antelope Mask- Lot 190, Auction 9/27/2018
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20th C. Mali Bamana Wood Antelope Mask- Lot 190, Auction 9/27/2018

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West Africa, Cameroon, Bamana/Bamilike people, ca. 20th century CE. A wooden mask in the form of an antelope, with a simple face ending in a rounded, open mouth with shallow incised grooves forming teeth. Round openings create the eyes and allow the wearer to see. Two huge horns project from the forehead, their surfaces heavily carved and incised, giving them a lifelike quality. The face is also incised, with wider bands around the forehead, down the nose, and leading away from the eyes. This example has a lightly-applied layer of darker, soil-based pigment. Size: 5.5″ W x 31″ H (14 cm x 78.7 cm); 39.15″ H (99.4 cm) on included custom stand.

Antelope imagery in Bamana lore is associated with the introduction of agriculture, the male form, and the sun that gives life. Perhaps the most famous style of Bamana art, the Ci Wara mask, depicts a divine being that is half human and half antelope. This being taught humanity how to cultivate the land and was honored by the Bamana ever after. The animal depicted here is likely the roan antelope, who inhabits the savanna annd is found throughout much of Africa.

Condition: Light wear and patina on surface. Small area of loss under one ear. Cracks from natural weathering of wood, notably around the forehead and end of the snout.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-Morton Dimondstein collection, California, USA

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