The sculptural arts of western Africa owe a great
deal to the shadowy peoples known as the
Tellem. When the Dogon moved from their
original heartland into the Bandiagara
escarpment area of Mali, the remains of Tellem
culture were to be found in many of the caves
and shelters along the escarpment edge.
Comparatively little is known of their day-to-day
life, but their expressive sculptures are among
the rarest and most influential in African art
history. Most known works are in wood and
represent either kneeling female figures or
standing figures of either sex with their arms
elevated- believed to represent an appeal for
rain or perhaps supernatural assistance. This
basalt figure displays the angular and
expressionistic characteristics of both Tellem
and Dogon sculpture, with the body bisected by
a number of planes that become naturalistic
body features. The face is likewise angular and
linear with protuberant eyes and an arrow-form
nose that is also found in many Dogon works.
The head is surmounted by an ornate hat with
elements joining the breasts and upper mid-
back. The figure, unusually, is seated on a low
stool- a marker of status in many later societies-
and a smaller second figure is mounted, facing
outwards, on the individual's back. This motif is
common in Bamana/Bambara and Dogon works
among others. Her right breast is being suckled
by an infant that is lain across her left arm and
onto her lap. This beautifully carved and
important figure is a major discovery and an
exceptional opportunity for a serious collector.
- (LSO.560)
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