Female Figure

The raised arms, pared-down form, and crusty patina of this female figure are hallmarks of the Tellem sculptural style from Mali. Her pose has been interpreted as a plea for rain. Placed on an altar, the figure would have received offerings of sacrifices, resulting in the thick coating that imbued it with a vital energy. The Tellem, who occupied the arid region of the Bandiagara Escarpment from the 11th to the 16th century, are believed to be predecessors of contemporary Dogon people.