Male figure

On the right shoulder of this bearded elder is a domolo, a wooden staff employed variously as a weapon, tool, and ritual object; a sheathed knife is strapped to his left shoulder. The style in which he is rendered relates the figure to a corpus of fired-clay and cast-metal creations from the Middle Niger valley. As evidenced by its preservation, this work was likely produced in the arid Bandiagara Escarpment. Wood artifacts from artistic centers that were subject to annual flooding, such as Jenne-Jeno, have not survived.

The populations of the ancient states of Ghana and Takrur, situated west of the Niger River, were predominantly composed of Soninke speakers, who are credited with establishing trade routes in the interior of West Africa. At the start of the second millennium CE, a series of developments—including the conquest of ancient Ghana, the opening of new gold fields along the frontier of present-day Mali and Guinea, and severe droughts—led the Soninke to venture farther south. Their interactions with Bamana and Malinke communities stimulated trade networks and led to the formation of new states. Some Soninke communities likely resettled in the nearby Bandiagara Escarpment, where they engaged with established Tellem and Dogon groups. This work is among the sculptural figures with pronounced facial features, braided coiffures, and elaborately patterned textiles produced by Soninke blacksmiths living on the plateau.