Statue, Tellem / Djennenké, Mali

Tellem and Djennenké sculptural traditions originate from the Dogon region and the Inner Niger Delta of Mali, West Africa, representing some of the most significant ancient African art forms. The Tellem people, who inhabited the Bandiagara Escarpment before the Dogon, produced highly stylized figurative sculptures often characterized by raised arms and encrusted patinas from ritual use, dating as far back as the 10th, 15th centuries. Djennenké works from the Djenné region, crafted in terracotta, reflect a sophisticated urban culture and are among the most celebrated examples of pre-Islamic West African artistic achievement.