October 7, 2004
By Tabisa Mntengwana
SOME of the intricately carved puppets on display at MuseuMAfricA, adorned in exotic African prints and painted in luminous primary colours, are larger than life.
Others, in simple stylised lines, are small hand-held rod puppets.
They form part of a rare collection of Bambara puppets, statuettes and masks from Mali now on exhibition at the MuseuMAfricA in Newtown from 6 to 24 October.
According to a statement from the museum: "The Patrimony exhibition will give viewers insight into the oldest and richest of Africa's surviving puppetry traditions."
The artworks belong to Yaya Coulibaly - founder of the Malian Sogolon Puppet Troupe. Coulibaly comes from a long tradition, with his family having been puppeteers for seven generations. "Coulibaly was initiated into puppetry as an apprentice to his father at the age of 10, and educated in the secrets of his cultural and artistic heritage," the press release adds.
Around the museum is abundant evidence of Mali's impressive puppetry heritage: there are human and animal heads worn by the puppeteers; groups of figures worked by a single operator; smaller hand-held puppets; and statues around which the action takes place.
One figure, a gilt covered animal head has a brightly painted human figure sitting between the ears. Some of the masks are more stylised in their depictions, carved in simple lines from the rich wood.
Malian puppetry traces its origins to rituals, with masks and statues being used in various ceremonies, including ancestor worship and initiation ceremonies. Puppets were also used to depict and link the natural world to that of the supernatural.
Puppetry remains a vibrant art form in Mali, with many of the more recent puppets showing influences from Islam and from the West.
Malian ritual art showing at MuseuMAfricA.
Photo by Janni Donald
The Patrimony exhibition is sponsored by AngloGold Ashanti with further funding from Business & Arts South Africa and Johannesburg's department of arts, culture and heritage services.
The museum is open from Tuesdays to Fridays from 9am to 5pm and admission to the exhibition is free.
MuseuMAfricA is located in the Old Market Building at 121 Bree Street in Newtown. For more information about the museum or this exhibition, call 011 833 5624
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