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Bala Players

15th–16th 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 culture, the xylophone-like bala figures in the Sunjata epic as the magical, preciously guarded possession of the blacksmith sorcerer king of Suso. The Moroccan author Ibn Battuta recounts that during his 1352 visit to the court of the Malian emperor Suleyman, he witnessed a bala performance by the official jeli, Dugha, who was accompanied by a chorus of one hundred female singers. As bala playing is not a customary activity in Dogon society, its depiction in this striking sculpture is exceptional.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Bala Players
  • Date: 15th–16th century
  • Geography: Mali, North central Bandiagara Plateau
  • Culture: Dogon peoples
  • Medium: Hardwood with organic materials, iron
  • Dimensions: H. 17 3/8 × W. 10 × D. 7 in. (44.1 × 25.4 × 17.8 cm)
  • Classification: Wood-Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Private collection
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing