Djenné-Djenno terra-cottas
Type:
Sculptures
Date:
1100–1400
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
Mali
Medium:
Earthenware,
Terra-cotta
Description:
These terra-cotta figures from the Niger River Valley were unearthed at various sites in and around Djenné-Djenno, the heart of the Empire of Mali (ca. 1235–1670). They include equestrian figures from a continent to which horses were not native and representations of ceremonial attire, physical adornments, and weaponry, all of which reflect the empire's prosperous economy. In contrast, some figures appear to be diseased or pained, possibly representing one of the downsides of long-distance trans-Saharan trade and contact.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
9
Repository and Online Resources:
• Watch a video on Djenné terra-cottas posted at Smarthistory (with narration from Dr. Kristina Van Dyke and Dr. Steven Zucker).
• Read more about the equestrian figure in the National Museum of African Art.
• Read more about the archer figure in the National Museum of African Art.
• Read more about the seated figure in the Metropolitan Museum.
• See more views of the female figure with four children on the website of the Yale University Art Gallery.
