It is a hot Savannah night. Festive drumbeats urge people to the village square. One after another giant animals arrive, their grass costumes fly as they swing and sway. Hidden inside each frame, men dance and work the puppets. The animals will compete with each other through the night.
Once, villagers hunted the dangerous beasts of the bush. The puppets celebrate those victories and athletic performers now capture the essence of the animals.

See more Bamana puppets in Brighton Museum's collection