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Ring Depicting a Rider on Horseback

A work made of copper alloy.

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  • A work made of copper alloy.

Date:

Probably late 19th/early 20th century

Artist:

Dogon
Mali
Northern Africa and the Sahel

About this artwork

Small cast copper-alloy ornaments are made across West Africa within the arc of the great Niger River. Brass or bronze casting has powerful associations with the supernatural because, like ironworking, it is a highly specialized process that uses fire to transform a raw material into a form that is useful and meaningful to humans. Dogon political and spiritual leaders wear copper-alloy ornaments that express power, such as this remarkably detailed horse and rider.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of Africa

Culture

Dogon

Title

Ring Depicting a Rider on Horseback

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.

1875–1925

Medium

Copper alloy

Dimensions

H.: 6 cm (2 3/8 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Richard Faletti, the Faletti Family Collection

Reference Number

2006.116

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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