Komo mask: warakun. Koulikoro Region. Wood, animal horns, pig hairs, fiber, pignment. (The Museum for African Art)

During these troubled times, one of the most stirring shows you can see is at the Museum for African Art in SoHo. This exquisitely designed museum has consistently received rave reviews for its exhibitions. The current one, featuring the art of the Bamana, is no exception, filled as it is with beauty, power, energy, and hope.

Particularly timely for all of us dedicated to the arts, it begins with a wall panel explaining that the arts of Africa are considered to ensure healing. “Join us, as together, we begin to heal,” the text continues. And, indeed, as you go through the museum, you will find yourself uplifted, inspired, and cheered in both mind and spirit.

Equally relevant for us is the holistic attitude towards artwork. In West Africa, art is at the very core of society, and the show includes dance, music, theater, puppetry, field photography, and video footage, as well as art objects.

During the dance, when viewed in profile, the Ci-wara headdress attains its aesthetic perfection. Dyele, 1987. (Photo by Catherine De Clippel)

The Bamana people of Mali live in a harsh environment; therefore they have invented a variety of methods of appeasing the spirits, of the natural world in order to coexist with nature. Their religion encompasses aspects of Islam, as well as their own indigenous culture and religion. This mixture is evident in the show’s photos of the mosques and other architecture of Bamana villages. The installation takes viewers through various social and religious aspects of Bamana culture, from the public manifestations to the most private and sacred forms, including ritual masks and initiation ceremonies.

It is of extreme importance that we understand the deep meaning that these breathtakingly beautiful objects have for the Bamana people. Nothing is done solely for the sake of aesthetic beauty. Although Europeans and Americans have long appreciated African art for its intrinsic beauty and appeal to modernist eyes, it has sometimes been regarded as important simply as an influence on such artists as Picasso, Matisse, Braque, and Giacometti. This exhibition sets us straight, showing all the objects both for themselves and within their intended context.

In the first few rooms pottery vessels, made by the women, are displayed near locks and spears, made by their husbands, the blacksmiths. The latter were considered magicians, in that they possessed the power to transform. You wouldn’t think that locks could be objects of beauty, but wait until you see these! Many are fashioned in anthropomorphic shapes, thought to guard private domains. Other useful objects such as elongated spears with human figures atop them, textiles, and, of course, musical instruments have all been lovingly created with great attention to detail.

Female figure: nyeleni. Attributed to the Segu Master. Wood. (The Museum for African Art)

On the main floor, in the first large room, we are treated to the puppets and masks of the Village Association, called “ton.” These include ngon monkey masks and an overwhelming variety of puppets representing different characters, such as beautiful wümen, working men, animals, and implements of farming and other labor. One of the most extraordinary is the huge, colorful Sogo Antelope puppet, made of wood, metal, embossed sheeting, cloth, and string, and standing almost nine feet tall. I have always wondered how these were used; a marvelous large-screen video shows us. Here we observe how the audience of all ages interacts with the imaginative puppet show. Radiance, joy, and pride are evident in the faces and postures of the villagers. These popular shows exhibit wit, humor, and athleticism while simultaneously serving as vehicles to examine the meaning of life, from moral concerns to religion, fears, and health issues such as AIDS. The performers have theatrical license to perform as they see fit.

One image of a beautiful woman displayed in an early room is a Maani puppet, constructed (as many of them are) of wood, paint, real fabric and hair. She wears a delicate blue batik robe, and looks pensive or prayerful, with her arms outstretched. In another gallery, there are a number of nude female figures, carved out of wood, called nyeleni. One, probably dating from 1920-30, is standing; others stand or sit or hold babies. All symbolize the ideal of female beauty, and female fertility. They are powerfully sexual beings, solidly planted on the earth, with a frontality reminiscent of the Egyptians. It is clear why Picasso loved them so.

Crest mask: sogonikumR Sikasso Region. Collected by Henry Kamer in Markala village, Segou area. Wood. (The Museum for African Art)

Downstairs, numbers of objects are displayed, from room to room, culminating in masks from different initiation societies, and photos and videos contextualizing these within their respective rituals and shrines. Worn by talented dancers capable of spectacular feats, extraordinary Kòmò helmet masks, such as the Warakun, from the Koulikoro region, are powerful, frightening, and awe-inspiring. The one illustrated here is made of wood, animal fur, horns, porcupine quills, and mirrors. It is one of many such masks, made by a men’s secret society, and clearly meant to intimidate evil human beings and spirits.

Perhaps the most recognizable and best known pieces here in the U.S. are the Ci-wara Crest masks. Graceful, rhythmical, mostly antelope forms, these are worn on the heads of dancers, as seen in photographs and a wonderful concluding video not to be missed.

Be sure to leave yourself enough time to see both the main floor and downstairs exhibits, as well as the extraordinary videos. They are guaranteed to inspire, empower, raise questions, and heal.

The exhibition continues through March 3. The Museum for African Art is located at 593 Broadway, between Houston and Prince Streets. (By subway, take the Q/W to Prince St., the F/S to Broadway-Lafayette, or the 6 to Bleecker St.) The museum is open Tuesday-Friday, 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, noon-6 p.m. It is closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission is $5 for adults, $2.50 for seniors, students, and children; admission is free on Sundays and from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month.

Greta Berman is an art historian on the liberal arts faculty.