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Female Figure

A work made of wood and sacrificial material.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of wood and sacrificial material.

Date:

11th-19th century

Artist:

Tellem or Dogon
Bandiagara region, Mali
Northern Africa and the Sahel

About this artwork

Raised arms, pared-down forms, and crusty patinas are considered the hallmarks of the Tellem sculptural style. This figure’s pose has been interpreted as a plea for rain. Placed on an altar, it would have received offerings of sacrifices, resulting in the thick coating that imbued it with a vital energy. The Tellem, who occupied the arid region of the Bandiagara Escarpment from the 11th to the 16th century, are believed to be predecessors of contemporary Dogon people.

Status

On View, Gallery 137

Department

Arts of Africa

Culture

Tellem

Title

Female Figure

Place

Mali (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1001–1900

Medium

Wood and sacrificial material

Dimensions

49.2 × 6.7 × 6.9 cm (19 5/8 × 2 5/8 × 2 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Grace Hokin

Reference Number

1991.388

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/117839/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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