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This outstanding figurative anthropomorphic
double ceramic vessel was made by a ceramicist
of the Djenne culture, centred in modern-day
Mali. Insofar as can be ascertained, it is a unique
example. It depicts two seated individuals facing
one another, their feet touching. They are
separated by a pair of vessels, which are as tall
as they are (when seated). Their bodies are
contiguous with the bodies of the pots, and they
have their arms wrapped around them. The figure
on the right even has his face “buried” in the side
of the pot. The detailing of the pots differs – the
one on the left is hatched, the other
pockmarked. The figures are fairly detailed, and
are thus intermediate between highly decorated,
elongated Djenne representations and the more
robustly expressionistic and roughly executed
Bankoni specimens. Each vessel is decorated with
snakes that are also crawling over the bodies of
the human figures. The figures are naked save
for bands around their waists and wrists.
The Djenne culture is focused upon the historic
city of Djenne-Djenno in the Niger Inland Delta
of modern Mali. It is notable for being the oldest
city in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the onetime hub
of an enormous trading empire that dominated
this area of Africa in the Middle Ages. It was
founded by the Bozo (allied with the Bamana)
people in about 800 AD, and was relocated
upstream to take advantage of Trans-Saharan
trade networks. The Djenne style is technically
part of the Malian Empire – along with numerous
other groups (i.e. the Tenenku, Bura and Bankoni
[centred on the town of Bamako]) – but the city
itself never was. Indeed, the Malian Empire is
said to have tried to conquer the city-state 99
times before giving up. Djenne-Djenno
remained unassailed until the 1470s, and never
ceased in terms of influence despite changing
hands several more times. It only waned in
importance when the French arrived at the end
of the 19th century.
Djenne culture – and that of the closely allied
Bankoni group – is highly significant in the
development of West African art styles. Their
figures are invariably highly expressionistic, with
little regard for proportion and scale, but with
phenomenal modelling skill. Owing to the
popularity of Djenne pieces, sites have been
systematically plundered so we know almost
nothing of their culture beyond its evident
refinement. Pieces such as this are doubly
mysterious as we can have no idea what the
piece was used for, and we are also unsure as to
the significance of the juxtaposition of humans,
pots and snakes. The size of the pot and its
extensive ornateness obviates it against being a
purely secular item, and it is likely to have held
something of ritual or perhaps financial
importance. The humans may represent slaves,
servants, or just decorative elements. The Djenne
are known to have used snakes as decorative
elements on their pots, either as curvilinear
borders, or to frame – or even devour – a human
figure on the vessel’s surface. Whatever its
significance, however, this is a rare and
impressive piece of ancient African art.
- (PF.4649 (LSO))
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