A terracotta sculpture - Djenne - Mali






Holds a postgraduate degree in African studies and 15 years experience in African art.
Catawiki Buyer Protection
Your payment’s safe with us until you receive your object.View details
Trustpilot 4.4 | 139016 reviews
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot.
Description from the seller
A terracotta horseman attributed to the Djenné-Jeno cultural sphere belongs to one of the most important sculptural traditions of medieval West Africa. Djenné-Jeno, or “Old Djenné,” was situated in Mali’s Inner Niger Delta, a vast floodplain formed by the Niger and Bani river systems. Archaeological research indicates that the settlement was occupied from approximately 250 BC and had developed into a major urban centre by about AD 850. Its position within a fertile agricultural zone and along riverine and trans-Saharan commercial routes contributed to its prosperity. The ancient settlement was abandoned by around AD 1400, although related cultural and artistic traditions continued in the wider region. Incl stand.
The terracotta sculptural tradition associated with Djenné-Jeno and neighbouring sites of the Inner Niger Delta is remarkable for its variety. Surviving works represent seated and kneeling figures, standing figures, couples, animals, warriors and equestrian figures. The horse-and-rider image is among the most impressive subjects. A well-documented comparative example in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is attributed to Djenné culture and dated to the twelfth through sixteenth century. It represents an armed, bearded man mounted on a richly equipped horse, with reins, a cap, sash, scabbard and elaborate horse trappings. The museum interprets the image as possibly commemorative or devotional and suggests that such figures could have represented distinguished ancestors or individuals of elevated social status.
The horse itself carried powerful social meaning. Horses were valuable animals in the Sahel and were associated with wealth, mobility, military authority and long-distance connections. The elaborate treatment of horse and rider in Djenné terracottas therefore appears deliberate. Rather than simply portraying transportation, the mounted figure communicates rank and prestige. Equestrian imagery may have referred to warriors, political leaders, members of an elite lineage or revered ancestors, although the precise original meaning of individual sculptures cannot normally be established with certainty. Bernard de Grunne's major study of Djenné-Jeno statuary devotes specific attention to the group of terracotta horsemen and to the religious and cultural significance of the wider sculptural tradition.
For a horseman reportedly collected in Mopti, the geographical information is consistent with the broader Inner Niger Delta cultural environment. Mopti lies within the wider Middle Niger region through which archaeological material circulated. Nevertheless, “collected in Mopti” should not be treated as equivalent to “excavated at Djenné-Jeno.” Unless an archaeological excavation record identifies the original site, the safest catalogue description is therefore “Djenné-Jeno cultural sphere” or “Inner Niger Delta, Mali,” followed separately by the documented collection information, such as “reportedly collected in Mopti.” This distinction is particularly important because many Malian terracottas entered collections without scientifically recorded archaeological contexts.
The proposed analysis by Laboratory Kotalla is therefore an important stage in evaluating the terracotta. Laboratory Kotalla, based at Kätzling 2, 72401 Haigerloch, Germany, specializes in thermoluminescence analysis of fired ceramics and states that it has carried out TL examination of ceramics, including African material, since 1979. The laboratory was founded by Ralf Kotalla, who describes receiving early training connected with the Rathgen Research Laboratory in Berlin. Benjamin Kotalla subsequently joined the laboratory.
Thermoluminescence, usually abbreviated TL, is particularly relevant to archaeological terracotta because it investigates the time elapsed since mineral components within the clay were last strongly heated. During firing, previously accumulated energy in minerals such as quartz and feldspar is effectively reset. After cooling, naturally occurring environmental radiation begins accumulating again within the crystalline structure. In laboratory analysis, a sample is reheated under controlled conditions and the resulting luminescence is measured. The measurement can provide an estimate related to the last firing of the sampled ceramic material.
According to Laboratory Kotalla, sampling normally involves first removing the surface and then drilling into the ceramic using a small low-speed drill. The laboratory states that generally two or three samples are taken and subjected to separate TL measurements, with approximately 50–200 mg of material required. Its listed equipment includes Lexsyg/“Lexysmart” Freiberg Instruments and Daybreak TL systems, irradiation equipment and photomultiplier systems. The laboratory also states that thorium and uranium determination by ICP/MS and potassium analysis can be ordered separately.
For the Djenné-Jeno horseman, a favourable TL result would provide significant evidence that the sampled clay underwent firing in antiquity rather than recently. It is important, however, to describe the result precisely. TL analysis principally addresses the age of the sampled fired material. It does not by itself establish that the sculpture was excavated at Djenné-Jeno, prove that it was collected in Mopti, identify the individual represented, or independently reconstruct the object's complete provenance. The laboratory itself notes that TL relates to the last heating of the sample and that later remodelling or restoration can complicate interpretation.
The strongest assessment of such an object therefore combines several kinds of evidence: stylistic and iconographic comparison with documented Inner Niger Delta sculptures, examination of construction and clay fabric, investigation of restorations or additions, provenance research, and scientific testing. Laboratory Kotalla additionally lists ceramic structural examination and CT scanning among its services, which can potentially complement TL where questions arise concerning internal construction, repairs or assembled components.
If the forthcoming Kotalla analysis establishes a firing date compatible with the medieval period, the result would strengthen an attribution to the historic terracotta traditions of the Inner Niger Delta when considered alongside stylistic and technical evidence. A horseman of this tradition should then be understood not simply as an isolated sculpture but within the sophisticated urban culture that developed around Djenné-Jeno and the Middle Niger: a culture sustained by agriculture, river communication, specialised production and extensive commercial networks. The mounted figure embodies a particularly powerful aspect of that society, in which the horse could communicate status, authority, military power and possibly ancestral identity.
References
de Grunne, Bernard. Djenné-Jeno: 1000 Years of Terracotta Statuary in Mali. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2014. The Smithsonian Libraries catalogue describes the publication as including fieldwork in Mali, the iconography and stylistic study of Djenné-Jeno statuary and a dedicated study of the terracotta horsemen.
McIntosh, Susan Keech, and Roderick J. McIntosh. “The Inland Niger Delta before the Empire of Mali: Evidence from Jenne-Jeno.” The Journal of African History, 1981. This is a fundamental archaeological reference for understanding Djenné-Jeno and the development of the Inner Niger Delta.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Inland Niger Delta.” Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. An introduction to Djenné-Jeno, its archaeology, urban development, trade environment and terracotta tradition.
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. “Horse and Rider,” object 2000.31. Djenné culture, Mali, twelfth–sixteenth century, earthenware and pigment. The museum entry provides detailed description, interpretation, exhibition history, provenance and an extensive bibliography for a major comparative equestrian terracotta.
Laboratory Kotalla. “About Us.” Laboratory Kotalla, Haigerloch, Germany. Provides the laboratory's history, personnel, TL equipment, working methods, sampling procedures and stated areas of competence.
Some of the information is generated by artificial intelligence and is based on published sources from the fields of ethnography, archaeology, and art history.
The price is without the price for the TL analysis but can be done within four weeks
Invt. No. MAZ21750
The seller guarantees and can prove that the object was obtained legally. The seller was informed by Catawiki that they had to provide the documentation required by the laws and regulations in their country of residence. The seller guarantees and is entitled to sell/export this object. The seller will provide all provenance information known about the object to the buyer. The seller ensures that any necessary permits are/will be arranged. The seller will inform the buyer immediately about any delays in obtaining such permits.
Seller's Story
A terracotta horseman attributed to the Djenné-Jeno cultural sphere belongs to one of the most important sculptural traditions of medieval West Africa. Djenné-Jeno, or “Old Djenné,” was situated in Mali’s Inner Niger Delta, a vast floodplain formed by the Niger and Bani river systems. Archaeological research indicates that the settlement was occupied from approximately 250 BC and had developed into a major urban centre by about AD 850. Its position within a fertile agricultural zone and along riverine and trans-Saharan commercial routes contributed to its prosperity. The ancient settlement was abandoned by around AD 1400, although related cultural and artistic traditions continued in the wider region. Incl stand.
The terracotta sculptural tradition associated with Djenné-Jeno and neighbouring sites of the Inner Niger Delta is remarkable for its variety. Surviving works represent seated and kneeling figures, standing figures, couples, animals, warriors and equestrian figures. The horse-and-rider image is among the most impressive subjects. A well-documented comparative example in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is attributed to Djenné culture and dated to the twelfth through sixteenth century. It represents an armed, bearded man mounted on a richly equipped horse, with reins, a cap, sash, scabbard and elaborate horse trappings. The museum interprets the image as possibly commemorative or devotional and suggests that such figures could have represented distinguished ancestors or individuals of elevated social status.
The horse itself carried powerful social meaning. Horses were valuable animals in the Sahel and were associated with wealth, mobility, military authority and long-distance connections. The elaborate treatment of horse and rider in Djenné terracottas therefore appears deliberate. Rather than simply portraying transportation, the mounted figure communicates rank and prestige. Equestrian imagery may have referred to warriors, political leaders, members of an elite lineage or revered ancestors, although the precise original meaning of individual sculptures cannot normally be established with certainty. Bernard de Grunne's major study of Djenné-Jeno statuary devotes specific attention to the group of terracotta horsemen and to the religious and cultural significance of the wider sculptural tradition.
For a horseman reportedly collected in Mopti, the geographical information is consistent with the broader Inner Niger Delta cultural environment. Mopti lies within the wider Middle Niger region through which archaeological material circulated. Nevertheless, “collected in Mopti” should not be treated as equivalent to “excavated at Djenné-Jeno.” Unless an archaeological excavation record identifies the original site, the safest catalogue description is therefore “Djenné-Jeno cultural sphere” or “Inner Niger Delta, Mali,” followed separately by the documented collection information, such as “reportedly collected in Mopti.” This distinction is particularly important because many Malian terracottas entered collections without scientifically recorded archaeological contexts.
The proposed analysis by Laboratory Kotalla is therefore an important stage in evaluating the terracotta. Laboratory Kotalla, based at Kätzling 2, 72401 Haigerloch, Germany, specializes in thermoluminescence analysis of fired ceramics and states that it has carried out TL examination of ceramics, including African material, since 1979. The laboratory was founded by Ralf Kotalla, who describes receiving early training connected with the Rathgen Research Laboratory in Berlin. Benjamin Kotalla subsequently joined the laboratory.
Thermoluminescence, usually abbreviated TL, is particularly relevant to archaeological terracotta because it investigates the time elapsed since mineral components within the clay were last strongly heated. During firing, previously accumulated energy in minerals such as quartz and feldspar is effectively reset. After cooling, naturally occurring environmental radiation begins accumulating again within the crystalline structure. In laboratory analysis, a sample is reheated under controlled conditions and the resulting luminescence is measured. The measurement can provide an estimate related to the last firing of the sampled ceramic material.
According to Laboratory Kotalla, sampling normally involves first removing the surface and then drilling into the ceramic using a small low-speed drill. The laboratory states that generally two or three samples are taken and subjected to separate TL measurements, with approximately 50–200 mg of material required. Its listed equipment includes Lexsyg/“Lexysmart” Freiberg Instruments and Daybreak TL systems, irradiation equipment and photomultiplier systems. The laboratory also states that thorium and uranium determination by ICP/MS and potassium analysis can be ordered separately.
For the Djenné-Jeno horseman, a favourable TL result would provide significant evidence that the sampled clay underwent firing in antiquity rather than recently. It is important, however, to describe the result precisely. TL analysis principally addresses the age of the sampled fired material. It does not by itself establish that the sculpture was excavated at Djenné-Jeno, prove that it was collected in Mopti, identify the individual represented, or independently reconstruct the object's complete provenance. The laboratory itself notes that TL relates to the last heating of the sample and that later remodelling or restoration can complicate interpretation.
The strongest assessment of such an object therefore combines several kinds of evidence: stylistic and iconographic comparison with documented Inner Niger Delta sculptures, examination of construction and clay fabric, investigation of restorations or additions, provenance research, and scientific testing. Laboratory Kotalla additionally lists ceramic structural examination and CT scanning among its services, which can potentially complement TL where questions arise concerning internal construction, repairs or assembled components.
If the forthcoming Kotalla analysis establishes a firing date compatible with the medieval period, the result would strengthen an attribution to the historic terracotta traditions of the Inner Niger Delta when considered alongside stylistic and technical evidence. A horseman of this tradition should then be understood not simply as an isolated sculpture but within the sophisticated urban culture that developed around Djenné-Jeno and the Middle Niger: a culture sustained by agriculture, river communication, specialised production and extensive commercial networks. The mounted figure embodies a particularly powerful aspect of that society, in which the horse could communicate status, authority, military power and possibly ancestral identity.
References
de Grunne, Bernard. Djenné-Jeno: 1000 Years of Terracotta Statuary in Mali. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2014. The Smithsonian Libraries catalogue describes the publication as including fieldwork in Mali, the iconography and stylistic study of Djenné-Jeno statuary and a dedicated study of the terracotta horsemen.
McIntosh, Susan Keech, and Roderick J. McIntosh. “The Inland Niger Delta before the Empire of Mali: Evidence from Jenne-Jeno.” The Journal of African History, 1981. This is a fundamental archaeological reference for understanding Djenné-Jeno and the development of the Inner Niger Delta.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Inland Niger Delta.” Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. An introduction to Djenné-Jeno, its archaeology, urban development, trade environment and terracotta tradition.
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. “Horse and Rider,” object 2000.31. Djenné culture, Mali, twelfth–sixteenth century, earthenware and pigment. The museum entry provides detailed description, interpretation, exhibition history, provenance and an extensive bibliography for a major comparative equestrian terracotta.
Laboratory Kotalla. “About Us.” Laboratory Kotalla, Haigerloch, Germany. Provides the laboratory's history, personnel, TL equipment, working methods, sampling procedures and stated areas of competence.
Some of the information is generated by artificial intelligence and is based on published sources from the fields of ethnography, archaeology, and art history.
The price is without the price for the TL analysis but can be done within four weeks
Invt. No. MAZ21750
The seller guarantees and can prove that the object was obtained legally. The seller was informed by Catawiki that they had to provide the documentation required by the laws and regulations in their country of residence. The seller guarantees and is entitled to sell/export this object. The seller will provide all provenance information known about the object to the buyer. The seller ensures that any necessary permits are/will be arranged. The seller will inform the buyer immediately about any delays in obtaining such permits.
Seller's Story
Details
Rechtliche Informationen des Verkäufers
- Unternehmen:
- Jaenicke Njoya GmbH
- Repräsentant:
- Wolfgang Jaenicke
- Adresse:
- Jaenicke Njoya GmbH
Klausenerplatz 7
14059 Berlin
GERMANY - Telefonnummer:
- +493033951033
- Email:
- w.jaenicke@jaenicke-njoya.com
- USt-IdNr.:
- DE241193499
AGB
AGB des Verkäufers. Mit einem Gebot auf dieses Los akzeptieren Sie ebenfalls die AGB des Verkäufers.
Widerrufsbelehrung
- Frist: 14 Tage sowie gemäß den hier angegebenen Bedingungen
- Rücksendkosten: Käufer trägt die unmittelbaren Kosten der Rücksendung der Ware
- Vollständige Widerrufsbelehrung
