MALI Bamana crest in wood with dark brown patina, metal and fabric. H. 85 cm high Placed atop a basketry cap made of carefully braided plant fibers, this crest representing a stylized antelope and its child was traditionally worn during initiation dances to honor the "champion of cultures". Linked to the agrarian rite, it was also connected to the fundamental principles governing the community, fertility, and fertility. A unifying object, they were danced in pairs, the males characterized by their beautiful manes, while the females carried a child on their backs, as shown here. The harmonious composition of this female crest echoes its refined formal simplification. The elongated cylindrical body is fluidly rendered by the curves, echoed and accentuated by those of the child behind her. The flattened ellipsoidal face, meticulously crafted with engraved geometric motifs, features a metal mask at eye level, juxtaposed with a red cloth. The forward-leaning face, with its beautiful, long, straight horns rising majestically to the sky, decorated with spirals, imbues the antelope and its child with a beautiful élan and strength of determination.