Equestrian (detail), 3rd–10th century. Bura-Asinda-Sikka Site, Niger. Terracotta. Institut de Recherches en Sciences Humaines, Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey, Niger (BRK 85 AC 5e5).
© Photo Maurice Ascani.
Art from Africa’s Sahel at the Met ‘Sahel: Art and Empires on the Shores of the Sahara’ – exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art focus on artistic legacy of Africa’s Sahel. January 30 – May 10, 2020.]]>
Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Empires on the Shores of the Sahara” is the first exhibition of its kind to trace the cultural legacy of the region, including the legendary empires of Ghana (300–1200), Mali (1230–1600), Songhay (1464–1591), and Segu (1640–1861). The exhibition brings together some 200 works that were created in parallel to these developments, including spectacular sculptures in wood, stone, fired clay, and bronze; gold and cast metal artifacts; woven and dyed textiles; and illuminated manuscripts.
The exhibition brings into focus such transformative moments as the development of urbanism, the rise and fall of political dynasties, and the arrival of Islam. Highlights include loans from the region’s national collections that travel to the United States for the first time, such as a magnificent ancient terracotta equestrian figure (3rd through 11th century) excavated at the site of Bura in 1985, from the Institut de Recherches en Sciences Humaines, Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey, Niger; a rare 12th-century gold pectoral from Rao that is a Senegalese national treasure from the collection of the Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar; and the Timbuktu manuscripts from the Mamma Haidara Memorial Library in Mali.
“This exhibition will celebrate the extraordinary—though relatively unfamiliar—cultural traditions of the western Sahel,” said Max Hollein, Director of The Met. “We’re deeply grateful to our colleagues around the world, especially in the Sahel, for lending the works of art that will bring this fascinating history to life.
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