Statue (Soninke), 11thcentury.
Mali.
Wood, height: 167 cm.
De Grunne Collection.
The Soninke were in the Bandiagara area before the
Dogons, which is where they settled in the 11thcentury
upon fleeing the Muslims at the decline of the Ghana
empire. This ancient statue either represents an ancestor,
clan founder, religious chief, or a well-known warrior.