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Lot Essay
Il est utile de rappeler la richesse extraordinaire du vocabulaire plastique auquel ont recouru les artistes Bamana pour représenter une seule forme animalière, qui est celle de l’antilope ci wara. Dans ce sens, on évoque la grande diversité de styles dont celui de la région de Ségou, qui s’impose historiquement comme l’un des plus anciens et importants. Parmi les diverses créations issues des ateliers de cette région, dont le génie est des plus appréciés pour sa vigueur et sa maîtrise plastiques, la typologie présentée ici est encore plus rare. Tandis que d’autres styles mettent en avant de manière diverse l’aspect gracieux de l’animal, les artistes du style de Ségou se consacrent avec une attention particulière à représenter la puissance physique de l’antilope. Ceci rend le style de Ségou unique, inégalé par aucune autre illustration classique de la ci wara. Une nervosité particulière s'en dégage, et imprègne dans ses moindres détails de cette sculpture. Toutes les qualités de l’animal y sont amplifiées comme nulle part ailleurs : les cornes sont massives, la tête anthropomorphe est imposante, le museau puissant, la poitrine bombée, le sexe est bien mis en évidence.
Parmi les exemplaires analogues les plus importants, nous pouvons citer celui du musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac, acquis avant 1935, inv. n° 73.1963.0.194, celui de l’ancienne collection de la Fondation Renée et Chaim Gross, ou encore celui de la collection du Musée Barbier-Mueller, inv. n° 1004-36.
It is worth noting the extraordinary richness of the plastic vocabulary used by Bamana artists to represent a single animal form, such as the ci wara antelope. In this sense, we mention the great diversity of styles, including that of the Segou region, which historically stands out as one of the oldest and most important. Among the various creations from the workshops of this region, whose genius is most appreciated for its vigour and plastic mastery, the typology presented here is rarer. While other styles variously emphasize the graceful aspect of the animal, the artists of the Segou style devote particular attention to representing the physical power of the antelope. This makes the Segou style unique, unmatched by any other classical illustration of the ci wara. A particular liveliness that emerges in its smallest details characterizes the sculpture presented here. Nowhere else are all the qualities of the animal amplified to that degree : the horns are massive, the anthropomorphic head is imposing, the muzzle powerful, the chest bulging, the sex is well highlighted.
Among the most outsanding analogous examples, we can mention the one in the Musée du quai-Branly - Jacques Chirac, acquired before 1935, inv. no. 73.1963.0.194, the one in the former collection of the Renée and Chaim Gross Foundation, or the one in the collection of the Musée Barbier-Mueller, inv. no. 1004-36.
Parmi les exemplaires analogues les plus importants, nous pouvons citer celui du musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac, acquis avant 1935, inv. n° 73.1963.0.194, celui de l’ancienne collection de la Fondation Renée et Chaim Gross, ou encore celui de la collection du Musée Barbier-Mueller, inv. n° 1004-36.
It is worth noting the extraordinary richness of the plastic vocabulary used by Bamana artists to represent a single animal form, such as the ci wara antelope. In this sense, we mention the great diversity of styles, including that of the Segou region, which historically stands out as one of the oldest and most important. Among the various creations from the workshops of this region, whose genius is most appreciated for its vigour and plastic mastery, the typology presented here is rarer. While other styles variously emphasize the graceful aspect of the animal, the artists of the Segou style devote particular attention to representing the physical power of the antelope. This makes the Segou style unique, unmatched by any other classical illustration of the ci wara. A particular liveliness that emerges in its smallest details characterizes the sculpture presented here. Nowhere else are all the qualities of the animal amplified to that degree : the horns are massive, the anthropomorphic head is imposing, the muzzle powerful, the chest bulging, the sex is well highlighted.
Among the most outsanding analogous examples, we can mention the one in the Musée du quai-Branly - Jacques Chirac, acquired before 1935, inv. no. 73.1963.0.194, the one in the former collection of the Renée and Chaim Gross Foundation, or the one in the collection of the Musée Barbier-Mueller, inv. no. 1004-36.