Zoomorphic mask · Mali, Proto Dogon / Tellem · ID: 3052620
Steven van de Raadt & Kathy van der Pas, Rotterdam (1993)
Blanchet & Associés, Paris, France, 23 November 2004, lot 151
Olivier Castellano, Paris, France
Description
wood, black paint residue, waxed surface, two cross-shaped scarifications on the right ear, remnants (right horn), base
This mask, with its elegant, time-worn contours, depicts a stylized antelope with slender horns and delicate ears.
It bears heavy traces of weathering, suggesting prolonged use in ritual contexts and storage in a sanctuary or cave.
Between the 11th and 16th centuries AD, the Tellem inhabited the Bandiagara Escarpment until, around the 14th century, they were displaced by the Dogon, who had migrated from the west. The Tellem dwellings, built high into the inaccessible cliff faces of the Bandiagara Escarpment, were repurposed by the Dogon as sacred sites, burial places, and storage for ritual masks and figures.
Publications
Arts d'Afrique Noire, no. 59, 1986 (Morigi advertisement); Steven van de Raadt & Kathy van der Pas, "Art from Mali", Rotterdam, May 1993:#3
AHDRC: 0005880