segoni-kun

segoni-kun
Highly sculptural mask of the Tyiwara society of the western African Bambara tribe.

Derived from the antelope's form and emphasizing its head, neck, and horns, the masks were worn at cultivation ceremonies by dancers imitating the antelope's graceful movements. It was believed that the spirit of the tyi-wara (work animal), which held great power over agricultural fertility, was embodied in the masks.

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▪ African mask
 mask derived from the antelope form, worn by a member of the Tyiwara society of the Bambara tribe in West Africa. Believed to have great power over agricultural fertility, the spirit of the tyi-wara (work animal) was thought to be embodied in the stylized segoni-kun masks, which were worn by Tyiwara dancers—on top of the head, affixed to a woven raffia cap—who impersonated the graceful movements of the antelope at cultivation ceremonies.

      The varieties of the mask are numerous; while none is exactly alike, all are stylistically similar. Each is highly sculptural and dramatic in motion. The head, neck, and horns of the antelope are emphasized, the animal's body being treated in a less-expressive way. The repetition of decorative patterns, characteristic of the Bambara style, is found on even the most highly abstracted segoni-kun mask.

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Universalium. 2010.

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