Dogon Tellem figure
€1,850.00
This quintessential African statue, depicting a seated figure in a simplified style and possessing a particularly rich patina from use, is truly exceptional. Only one other high-quality example of this type of object is known to exist on the market: the one from the R. Duperrier collection (France), sold at auction in 1993.
I am privileged to offer you this superb Dogon Tellem statue from Mali, thanks to the intervention of the avid collector and dealer B. Berete, originally from Guinea. He first resided in France in the 1960s before migrating to Switzerland, where he settled while supplying the American market with his harvests in West Africa.
In the Dogon language, the term Tellem literally means "those who were here before us." It refers to the first known inhabitants of the majestic Bandiagara Escarpment in Mali, long before the arrival of the present-day Dogon people.
This farming people, likely originating from the Niger River region, migrated to the cliff between the 11th and 15th centuries, most likely fleeing the expansion of the Ghana Empire. They found refuge in the natural crevices and caves of this impressive rock face, over 200 km long, south of the Bandiagara Plateau.
It was during this period that the Tellem produced a unique form of sculpture in sub-Saharan Africa: stylized wooden statues with a dark, crusty patina. These works, discovered in inaccessible caves and rock shelters, constitute one of the oldest surviving examples of African wood art (some pieces are dated between the 11th and 15th centuries).
When the Dogon settled on the cliff in the 15th century, they discovered these abandoned sculptures. Some were reused in their own altars, while others directly inspired Dogon statuary (notably the famous figures with raised arms found in the works of later Dogon sculptors).
Today, Tellem art is considered a major treasure of ancient African art and is in high demand on the tribal art market and among collectors.
02588
Data sheet
- Presumed dating
- Mid XXth century
- Size
- 61 cm
- Ethnic group
- Material(s)
- Wood, sacrificial materials
- Country
- Origin
- B. Berete Collection
- Stand
- Included
- Condition
- Vintage
This quintessential African statue, depicting a seated figure in a simplified style and possessing a particularly rich patina from use, is truly exceptional. Only one other high-quality example of this type of object is known to exist on the market: the one from the R. Duperrier collection (France), sold at auction in 1993.
I am privileged to offer you this superb Dogon Tellem statue from Mali, thanks to the intervention of the avid collector and dealer B. Berete, originally from Guinea. He first resided in France in the 1960s before migrating to Switzerland, where he settled while supplying the American market with his harvests in West Africa.
In the Dogon language, the term Tellem literally means "those who were here before us." It refers to the first known inhabitants of the majestic Bandiagara Escarpment in Mali, long before the arrival of the present-day Dogon people.
This farming people, likely originating from the Niger River region, migrated to the cliff between the 11th and 15th centuries, most likely fleeing the expansion of the Ghana Empire. They found refuge in the natural crevices and caves of this impressive rock face, over 200 km long, south of the Bandiagara Plateau.
It was during this period that the Tellem produced a unique form of sculpture in sub-Saharan Africa: stylized wooden statues with a dark, crusty patina. These works, discovered in inaccessible caves and rock shelters, constitute one of the oldest surviving examples of African wood art (some pieces are dated between the 11th and 15th centuries).
When the Dogon settled on the cliff in the 15th century, they discovered these abandoned sculptures. Some were reused in their own altars, while others directly inspired Dogon statuary (notably the famous figures with raised arms found in the works of later Dogon sculptors).
Today, Tellem art is considered a major treasure of ancient African art and is in high demand on the tribal art market and among collectors.