Kneeling figure with snake · Mali, Inland Niger Delta/Djenne · ID: 3041782
Walter Schmidt, Würzburg/Innsbruck, Germany/Austria
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.
The object Kneeling figure with snake with the object ID 3041782 was last part of the auction 86th Tribal Art Auction at May 27, 2017 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 9.
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Publications
AHDRC: 0141949