Tellem House Post, Mali

encircled with four figures carved in relief.

Allan Stone, New York

Very good condition for an object of this great age and rare type. Wood is weathered with age cracks throughout as shown in catalogue illustration. Fine thick encrusted patina. Minor nicks, scratches, abrasions, chips, and surface losses consistent with age. Some areas of small losses to patina. Knot in the wood interrupts the bands of relief carving below the fork. Permanently fixed to a metal plate base with a vertical metal pole embedded in underside.
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.

Famous for their highly abstract cubist style, the Tellem were the original inhabitants of the south eastern part of the Bandiagara Cliff in central Mali prior to the arrival of the Dogon in the 16th century. Leloup (1994: 140-141) notes: "The characteristis of the Tellem statues are the following: small figurative renderings usually with raised arms. This attitude, the tension, the frequently exaggerated proportions of the arms clearly identify the goal of this sculpture: begging for rain. The elongation of the arms underscore the imploring attitude."

The housepost from the Allan Stone Collection, an extremely rare example of Tellem relief sculpture, features an iconography corresponding exactly to the ideal of the Tellem style as postulated by Leloup. The four alternating male and female figures, presumably renderings of the primordial couple, raise their elongated arms to the sky towards a band of zigzag in the post's upper section, a symbol for water and rain. The thick sacrificial incrustation attests to many libation ceremonies and the spiritual importance of this architectural element, suggesting that it once belonged to a shrine house or another structure of religious importance.