Djenne Terracotta Figurine, Mali, ca. 15th-17th century

Accompanied by a "Report on Thermoluminescence Analysis" from the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, Cambridge (UK), dated March 6, 1980.  The report states that sample "281s78", taken from the present figure in powder form, was last fired 430 +/- 65 years before (1485-1615 CE).

Collected by Marc Leo Felix in Mali in the 1970s
Marc Leo Felix, Brussels
Harold Gray, Washington, D.C., acquired from the above on July 2, 1980

Very good condition for an object of this type and great age. Minor marks, nicks, scratches, small chips, and abrasions consistent with age. Loss to proper left foot as seen in catalogue photo. Shallow drill hole from thermoluminescence sample underneath. Fine aged surface with remains of red pigment, blackened areas, and encrustation.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The oldest known city in Sub-Saharan Africa, Djenné-Jenno (or Jenne-jeno) was the center of a succession of empires that flourished between the 11th and the 17th centuries in the Inland Niger Delta region of present-day Mali.  The city gives its name to an important corpus of terracotta figures which were excavated in and surrounding the city, evidence of a highly sophisticated society and culture that influenced vast areas of the inner Niger River delta.  Kerchache (1993: 502) notes: “The art of the inner delta of the Niger, the region formed by the triangle of the cities of Mopti, Ke Macina, and Djenne, bears witness to an astonishing richness of invention and a lively concern with detail.”

According to Van Dyke (2008: 64), "The figurative works... [found in the Inner Niger Delta region] were embedded in floors and walls, positioned with pottery and metalwork in a shrinelike structure, placed in or around large funerary vessels, or deposited in refuse pits, among other locations.  These extraordinary objects offer insight into the period dominated by the trans-Saharan trading empire of Mali, pushing back the timeline of art history in West Africa by centuries."