Legends, Sorcerers, and Enchanted Lizards

Pascal James Imperato

"The Bamana People are known for their rich, artistic traditions, including the creation of masks, statues, headdresses, and ritual and utilitarian objects: their door locks are among the most remarkable of all African art. Sculpted of wood in a wide variety of forms, they depict mythological and historical figures - crocodiles, lizards, tortoises, owls, bats, butterflies, deities, and humans.". "Known as konbarabara, these locks were once presented to young women at the time of their marriage and affixed to the doors of their new homes. And so accompanying the lock's artistic and spiritual significance in Bamana society came a cherished symbol of marriage and a family's personal history.". "This in-depth study of these beautiful sculptures and the ingenuity of their locking systems contains three parts: the first provides an overview of the Bamana people and their philosophical and...

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