Seated Figure (Djenne)
by Ancient Ife (Unknown), 1300
Artwork Details
Details
- Year
- 1300
- Medium
- Terracotta
- Size
- 25 cm (10 in) tall
Cite or Embed This Work
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Ife This seated terracotta figure from Djenné (in modern Mali) represents the sophisticated artistic traditions of the medieval Niger River valley. Created around 1300 CE, the figure shows the distinctive posture and surface treatment of Djenné sculpture, with arms wrapped around raised knees and a textured surface suggesting scarification or disease.
Djenné was a major trading city where Saharan and sub-Saharan cultures met, facilitating exchange of gold, salt, and ideas. The terracotta figures were buried in mounds for unknown purposes, possibly commemorating ancestors or important individuals. Extensive looting has removed most figures from their archaeological contexts, limiting scholarly understanding.
This figure is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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About Seated Figure (Djenne)
This figure is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Many Djenné terracottas have been looted and sold internationally. This terracotta work is part of their permanent collection.
Djenné is in modern Mali, along the Niger River. It was a major medieval trading city connecting Saharan and sub-Saharan Africa, in New York, USA.
The bumpy texture may represent scarification or disease. Some scholars suggest the figures commemorate people who died of specific illnesses. Ife This seated terracotta figure from Djenné (in modern Mali) represents the sophisticated artistic traditions of the medieval Niger River valley.
Illegal excavation removes figures from burial contexts, destroying information about their original purposes and meaning. This terracotta work dates to 1300 It's at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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