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African & Tribal Art :
Djenne : Djenne Terracotta Sculpture of a Coiled Snake
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Djenne Terracotta Sculpture of a Coiled Snake - PF.2511
Origin: Central Mali
Circa: 12
th
Century AD
to 14
th
Century AD
Dimensions:
2.125" (5.4cm) high
Collection: African
Medium: Terracotta
£6,000.00
Location: UAE
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| Photo Gallery |
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| Description |
Sensitive and skillful artisans in the republic of
Mali sculpted this intriguing image of a ceramic-
coiled snake. At the time of its creation the
empire of West African Mali was at its zenith.
The famous chronicler Ibnbattuta, a Berber
theologian from Tanger who spent a year in Mali,
writes that he was overcome with amazement
over the wealth of the Mansamusa court of Mali,
whose splendor at the time was equal only to
that of the Mongol empire. Djenne, one of the
prospering cities at that time, also reaped the
bounty of the rivers Nile and Bani, since it was
strategically located at the confluence of these
two waterways. An accessible and plentiful gift
of the rivers was the ceramic grit, a material that
was worked by local artisans in a skillful and
creative fashion. The result of these efforts was
the creation of terracotta sculptures that are
truly distinguished in the world of ceramic art.
Here we see a fascinating example of the Djenne
artistry in this image of a coiled snake. With a
long body wrapped gracefully around it, the
snake rests his head atop his tail in a relaxing
posture pose that belies his normally vigilant
nature. Snakes were venerated in the Mali
culture, used in the cult of ancestors as well as
being linked symbolically with the idea of relative
mortality. This serpentine work of art reflects
that respect and admiration through a
combination of bold imagery and a sensitive
spirit.
- (PF.2511)
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