Miniature Equestrian Figure
Guimbala, Mali
Copper alloy
15th - 17th century

Acquired by Galerie Walu (Zürich) in 1985. 

1.25 in :: 3.5 cm

InventoryID #13-1535

SOLD

The early West African kingdoms – Ghana, Mali, Songhai, and Bambara – all enclosed one territory (in present-day Mali) in their sphere of power which is referred to as the inland Niger Delta. Every year from June to December, large areas of this territory are inundated by the rivers Niger and Bani, during which objects are uncovered. The production of the majority of the sculptures discovered occurred between the 13^th and 16^th centuries, but range from the 11^th to 19^th centuries.

This equestrian figure comes from the interior Delta region of the Niger River known as Guimbala, and is possibly from the Léré or Niafunké region. Tiny stick-like miniature bronzes like this were found buried in pots, and can date from the 12^th-16^th century, but can be as recent as the 19^th century (Blandin, André, Afrique de l'Ouest: Bronzes et Autres Alliages, 1988; Phillips, Tom, Africa: The Art of a Continent, 1999).

This distinctive miniature appeard in the auction catalogue "Jean-Louis Picard: Collection Roger Budin (Genève) et à divers amateurs," 8 Oct. 1991 (pictured below).