Africa, West Africa, Mali, probably Djenné-Djenno, Inland Niger Delta culture-style maker / possibly 1300s–1600s
Male Figure
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Male Figure as sculpture (Africa, West Africa, Mali, probably Djenné-Djenno, Inland Niger Delta culture-style maker · possibly 1300s–1600s).
While we don’t know who made this work, it can be hypothesized that it was a woman; today, as in much of Africa, potters in Mali are female.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this sculpture as Terracotta.
The museum's collection notes: Figures like this would have been used in rituals by the ancestors of the present-day inhabitants of the Inland Niger Delta. Representing the gods and kings or queens associated with the region’s former residents, the figures received prayers and offerings in exchange for their support. The seated position of this male has been interpreted as a harmful pose intended to bring death to an individual.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtMale FigureOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.