Seated Figure
Mali, Inland Niger Delta region; Djenné, 13th century
Terracotta; 10 x 11 3/4 in. (25.4 x 29.9 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Buckeye Trust and Mr. and Mrs. Milton F. Rosenthal Gifts, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and Harris Brisbane Dick and Rogers Fund, 1981 (1981.218)
Curator Comment
This figure from Mali's inland delta of the Niger River is the earliest sub–Saharan African creation in the Metropolitan's permanent collection. Settled by 250 b.c., Djenné-Jeno flourished through trans-Saharan trade. Its decline coincided with the creation of a remarkable figurative tradition between 1000 and 1200, which has led historians to speculate that these sculptural representations may have constituted a response to a major social crisis.
The fired terracotta figures that were produced in the city of Djenné-Jeno included foot soldiers, mounted cavalry, and men and women positioned in what appear to be postures of devotion. Djenné figures are defined by features that were alternatively added to and inscribed on the malleable clay surface. This example is striking for its pliant posture and melancholy aspect. The graceful dorsal curvature that defines the summit is dramatically accentuated with parallel rows of incised circular depressions and raised concave units. The precision with which these are articulated and their restriction to the area of the back denotes a decorative quality. It is thus unclear whether these bodily markings portray an aesthetic practice or constitute a highly stylized reference to disease. It has been suggested that such imagery may have represented an appeal for relief from some source of affliction.
Alisa LaGamma, curator, Department of Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas