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Seated Male Figure

12th–14th century
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
In Mande society, clay has historically been a major medium of creative expression identified with female expertise. Women’s mastery of sophisticated techniques of forming and firing clay parallels that of men’s manipulation of iron ore through smithing. Given that these gendered specializations go back as far as anyone can remember, it has been proposed that female authors produced the full array of Middle Niger ritual ceramics, including figurative representations.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Seated Male Figure
  • Date: 12th–14th century
  • Geography: Mali, Ségou region
  • Culture: Middle Niger civilization
  • Medium: Terracotta
  • Dimensions: H. 17 7/16 × W. 14 3/16 × L. 12 in. (44.3 × 36 × 30.5 cm)
  • Classification: Ceramics-Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Musée Barbier-Mueller, Geneva (1004-131)
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing