Kneeling figure with snake
Mali, Inland Niger Delta/Djenne
not available anymore
Provenance
German Private Collection (before 1968)Walter Schmidt, Würzburg/Innsbruck, Germany/Austria
Size
H: 15 cm
H: 5.9 inch
Description
beige-coloured terracotta, remains of red and black pigment, elegant forms (thighs and forearms strongly elongated), beautiful composition: the bearded head of the man slightly turned to the right, the snakes head arranged directly underneath, base;
in oral Western African tradition the serpent is a symbol for immortality and it is closely connected with the cult of the first ancestors. Even up to nowadays, the serpent is a taboo: whoever kills one is subject to terrible misfortunes.
Publications
AHDRC: 0141949