51" Grand Antique Bamana Gazelle Headdress

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This Rare Bamana Figure is a monumental example of African ritual sculpture, standing at an impressive 51 inches. Hand-carved from … Read more This Rare Bamana Figure is a monumental example of African ritual sculpture, standing at an impressive 51 inches. Hand-carved from a single piece of indigenous hardwood by the Bamana people of Mali, this Ci Wara headdress is a vertical masterpiece of symbolic abstraction. It features the signature elongated snout, towering vertical horns, and a gracefully arched neck adorned with intricate geometric "chip-carving" and hand-painted ritual motifs. The surface of the timber displays a rich, multi-layered patina of deep ochre and charcoal, with traces of original pigments that highlight the rhythmic openwork carving. Historically worn as a crest in agricultural masquerades to ensure the fertility of the land, this artifact has been elevated to a premier sculptural object, mounted on a minimalist custom iron gallery stand. Its dramatic height and needle-like silhouette make it a breathtaking vertical anchor for Organic Modern, Global Primitive, or Architectural Minimalist interiors.

As an authentic tribal artifact, This African gazelle is presented in its Original Antique Condition. It exhibits an extraordinary "earned character," featuring natural age-related wood fissures, some missing fragments, softened carving edges from ceremonial use, and the beautiful, complex texture of 19th-century hand-tooling.

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