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Equestrian

19th–20th century

Not on view

In Bamana society the equestrian makes specific reference to the sofaw (Fathers of the Horse), Segu’s elite corps of warriors who served as private guards for the king and his residence. Among the allegorical protagonists of Jo sculptural ensembles is Gwantigi, the personification of male authority and invincibility, who is portrayed in the guise of a male warrior either standing his ground or in the dynamic stance of an equestrian. In addition to his lance, he may be equipped with a type of pouch, used to carry supernatural weapons, slung across his chest.

Equestrian, Wood, Iron staples, Bamana peoples — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Equestrian, Wood, Iron staples, Bamana peoples

Equestrian, Wood, Iron staples, Bamana peoples

Equestrian, Wood, Iron staples, Bamana peoples

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This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Equestrian

Date: 19th–20th century

Geography: Mali, Oussabo

Culture: Bamana peoples

Medium: Wood, Iron staples

Dimensions: (Approx.) H. 51 × W. 16 × D. 28 in. (129.5 × 40.6 × 71.1 cm)

Classification: Wood-Sculpture

Credit Line: Private collection

The Met

The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing at The Met

The Met's collection of art of the peoples of sub-Saharan Africa, the Pacific Islands, and North, Central, and South America comprises more than eleven thousand works of art of varied materials and types, representing diverse cultural traditions from as early as 3000 B.C.E. to the present.