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Focus Works of Art
Pair of Antelope Headdresses
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Mali, Bamana
(African)
Pair of Antelope Headdresses,
20th Century |
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Tji Wara headdresses are carved from wood and are often ornamented with hammered metal. They are usually seen in pairs, one representing the male and the other a female with a baby on her back. The figures have a composite form, combining abstracted animal and natural features. The form partly derives from the body of a roan antelope, a reference to a half-man, half-antelope god named Tji Wara, who is said to have given the gift of farming to the Bamana people. The antelopes' horns may also suggest tall stalks of grain, such as the millet that grows in this area of western Africa. The headdresses have the long noses of an aardvark. Like the farmer who plows the soil, this type of anteater burrows his nose in the earth to find his food. The figures not only refer to animals associated with farming, but they also mimic the bent form and hoeing action of a farmer. The Bamana believe that the best farmers are always bent over hoeing.
How and why were these worn?
Antelope headdresses like these are worn in Bamana community festivals that celebrate agriculture. The masquerade begins in the fields and moves into a community center. Champion farmers from the Mande-speaking area of central Mali are selected as maskers, or the individuals who perform at these events. The farmers' bodies are covered in raffia costumes, which sound like rain when the dancers move to music. The wooden headdresses are attached to the top of dancers' heads with woven caps. The men also carry long sticks they use to support themselves like another pair of legs. Dancers make leaping movements like the antelope and hoeing actions as if they are working in the fields. Some performances even include hoeing contests.
What role does the community play in these performances?
The dancers selected to take part in the masquerade are known as Tji Wara. Their excellent farming skills make them worthy of honoring the deity with their dance. There is also an association within each community that preserves these traditions and transmits knowledge about the seasons, crops, and soil to younger generations. The performances offer these Tji Wara societies opportunities to compete with one another and show off their farming skills.
While the farmers dance, females in the community imitate the movements of the dancers and sing songs that praise the virtues of farming. Their involvement in the celebration symbolizes how important marital cooperation is to successful farming. The performances are also meant to teach younger generations the skills and values associated with farming. The cross-generational nature of these performances reinforces the continuity of the community.
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Below are suggestions for using the Focus Work of Art with students in the classroom. The activity and discussion ideas are listed in order of difficulty. The activity instructions and italicized discussion questions may be presented directly to students. The icons below each suggestion note the related subject area(s). Click on each icon to determine which subject area it represents. Browse the thematic Lesson Plans for more ideas on how to use this work of art and theme in the classroom. |
- Animal Features
Look closely at these headdresses. What kind of animals do these remind you of? (antelope and aardvark) Review the relationship of these animals to the Tji Wara. What could farmers learn from these animals? Pretend you are a farmer plowing fields, raking the earth or planting seeds. Compare your pose and motions with the headdress form.
- Dancing Music
The Tji Wara headdresses are worn during farming celebrations. The best farmers in the community wear them while dancing to music. Find some music from Mali or another part of Africa that has a rhythm that reminds you of repeated hoeing or jumping motions. Try dancing to this music. As an extension, perform this celebration dance with a headdress and body covering of your own creation.
  
- Crops Here and There
Discuss the types of crops farmed in your region. How are these crops different from those grown in Mali, such as millet? What factors affect the type of crops that grow in a particular region? (weather, soil, economy) As an extension, compare the types of farming techniques and tools used by American and African farmers. Consider how technology has changed the way we farm today.
- Farming Celebrations
Discuss the ways we celebrate farming and the harvest. Compare how our celebrations are different and similar to the Tji Wara performance. Create a new festivity that honors farmers. Invite your family or school community to this celebration.
- Learning the Science of Farming
Bamana people believe that Tji Wara was a mythical animal that taught their ancestors how to farm. Consider how today's farmers learn how to farm their crops. Interview a few local farmers to discover how they learned their trade and what they think of their job. Create a written or visual portrait of one of these farmers that incorporates some information (in words or images) about the crops they grow and the tools they use. Exhibit these portraits in your school or community. Invite the farmers to see your work and share stories of their lives.
- Composite Creatures
The Tji Wara is a composite animal, taking characteristics and form from both an antelope and aardvark. When the masker wears this animal headdress, he takes on the positive qualities of these animals. For instance he becomes graceful and swift like an antelope. Create your own composite creature that exhibits characteristics you would like to possess. Take the characteristics and forms from animals you find in nature. Represent these forms realistically or abstract them like the artists who made the Tji Wara headdresses did.
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