Among the Mande peoples, including the Bamana, shirts and headdresses with potent substances ritually protect and fortify hunters, who venture into the wilderness and confront unpredictable spirits and dangerous animals. The men do not wear these gowns during the actual hunt, but don them during festivals and public events-a sign of distinction and their elevated role in society. These powerful objects began their journeys into art collections only in the 1960s, when shifts in Western scholarship and taste moved textiles and dress into the realm of art.

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