Art Institute of Chicago

Male Figure

Date: Possibly 18th century
Medium: Wood, pigment, and sacrificial material
Culture: Mali
Department: Arts of Africa
Institution: Art Institute of Chicago

Made for a large altar honoring ancestors, this figure’s crusty surface resulted from repeated ritual applications of sacrificial materials including animal blood, millet porridge, plant juice, and oil, infusing it with a vital energy. Its braided hairstyle, thin beard, amulet-pendant, and ritual staff (on his left shoulder) suggest that this figure portrays a high-ranking man. The extremely dry environment of the cave where it was stored helped to preserve it.

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Object type: AAT300301253

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