Statuettes (Djenné), 12th-15thcenturies.
Terracotta, height of the horsemen: 44 cm,
height of the kneeling figure: 36 cm.
Private collection.
Very rare and of a high quality, these figures appear to represent horsemen, one
on a horse and the other on a buffalo. The bearded horseman on the horse
likely represents a chief, while the other, holding a bow, is probably a soldier. It
is impossible to know what function these statues served.
The kneeling man is a common archetype in Djenné art. His hieratic position
and specific detailing point out the sophistication and refinement of this
civilisation, which we can only learn about based on artistic artefacts.