Antique marionette puppet

| 2015-05-18

Very Rare antique marionette puppet made by the Bamana tribal people of Mali, Africa and used in masquerade performances. This very old Bamana specimen is called a Maaniw, or “little people” and was used in Sogo bo performances. This Bamana male puppet is carved from wood and has movable arms and legs. His body was once entirely yellow although some paint has worn off. The hat is black with a green and red visor. What makes this yellow man so unique is a small hose mounted along his back which goes through the back of the neck to become the puppet's mouth. This was used during the performances by the puppet master to make this character 'get sick' by blowing liquids through the hose. This piece is antique and has old bug damage which is no longer active. Amazing! This specimen measures 19 inches long by 5 inches wide.

Puppet theater has been and still is an important part of Mali culture and tradition. Both masks and marionette figure puppets are used. Sogo bo which is the puppet masquerade enactment performed by the Bamana people of mali which is typically an exploration of the morals of everyday tribal living. The relationships between men and women and the problems of polygamous households are important topics of Sogo bo performances. Malian puppetry features maaniw, “little people” or puppets in human form. Maaniw play an
important role in initiation ceremonies and often appear at nighttime performanaces which last all night on kalaka which are small movable stages which conceals the puppet masters. They often speak of the individual’s place in society and teach morals.

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