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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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