Chi wara is a mythical farming beast that, in Bamana belief, taught people in Mali how to farm. Its carved headdresses combine human, antelope and anteater features, marking it as an agricultural spirit rather than an earthly animal. Male dancers performed with paired male and female headdresses, mounted on basketry caps, at agricultural competitions and weddings, accompanied by women's songs. Styles vary by region, and the naturalistic carving of this female example suggests it was made in the Djitoumou region of southern Mali. Its blacksmith-carver decorated the body with patterns that emphasise its muscles.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.