This very beautiful sogoni kun headdress (usually called tyi wara) represents a stylized antelope caring two young ones on her back (three pairs of horns). In use during agrarian festivities of the secret male initiation association tyi wara of the young farmers, this object (decorated with small incised circles) was to favor harvests.

The sogoni kun headdress, set on top of the head using a wicker basket, was the attribute of the male initiation association tyi wara whose fundamental principles are to harmonize the life of the Man, the fertility of the cultures and the place of the Man within cosmos. The body represents the antelope (dega) that first taught people to farm. Symbol of fecundity, the sogoni kun expresses art to make a ground fertile ; symbol of Man's origins, it also expresses the creation of the universe by analogy of the symbols and the myths.
Probably 19^th century or earlier.

If you want to know more about this object or send us your remarks, … click here. Please notify us with this object id: 2385.