Anthropo-zoomorphic face mask "ci-wara-ni kun"

wood, five animal horns, cowries, glass beads, mirrors were once attached to the round plaques made of beeswax

Like the "chiwara" antelope dance crests, "ci-wara-ni kun" accompanied the young farmers to the fields during planting competitions and tried to spur them on to top performance. However, "ci-wara-ni kun" was not worn on the head but in front of the face.

A formally and stylistically very similar object collected by Leiris & Griaule in 1931 is in the holdings of the Musée du quai Branly, Paris, France (Inv.no. 71.1931.74.635) and is published in Colleyn, 2001, p. 234, cat. 232 (see AHDRC 0079157).