BAMANA PUPPETS, Mali

BAMANA Puppet 1 30" high $1000

BAMANA Puppet 3 27" high $1500

The puppets below have been SOLD and are left here for educational and research purposes.

BAMANA Puppet 9 25" high SOLD*

BAMANA Puppet 10 22.5" high SOLD*

BAMANA Puppet 13 22" high SOLD

BAMANA Puppet 17 26" high SOLD*

BAMANA Puppet 64 24.5" high SOLD

BAMANA Puppet 6 22" high SOLD

The puppets above have been vetted as authentic.

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BAMANA STYLE PUPPETS, Mali

The puppets below were probably made to be sold.

BAMANA STYLE Puppet 16 32" high SOLD

BAMANA STYLE Puppet 65 32" high SOLD

We believe most of these puppets are authentic and used. Despite their appearance some may have been made to be sold.

Sogo bo, the puppet masquerade drama of the Bamana, is an exploration of the moral universe.
The relationship between men and women and the problems of domestic relations in polygamous households are important concerns of many Sogo bo performances. Conflict among co-wives is a popular theme in many stories and two of the main characters areBarabara, the Favorite Wife, and the Galomuso, the Bad Wife. Like folktales and other theatrical forms, these masquerade performances throw cultural values and social relationships into high relief and open them up for public scrutiny.

The largest group of masquerade characters and the oldest performed in the theater are bush animals (see Bamana Animal Puppets).

from The Sogow by Mary Jo Arnoldi in Bamana: The Art of Existence in Mali. New York: Museum of African Art.