Minneapolis Institute of Art

Pot

Djenne artist

Medium

Terra-cotta

Culture

Djenne

Department

Arts of Global Africa

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Today, Mia would no longer acquire this kind of vessel. Dating from the 1400s, it comes from the Inner Niger Delta in Mali. For over a thousand years, this region was a hub of culture and commerce based on trans-Saharan trade. The soil there is extremely rich in archaeological materials, enticing looters to destroy entire sites in search of antiquities to sell. In 1997, the United States and Mali signed a Cultural Property Agreement, which protects Mali’s exceptional patrimony and restricts the import of archaeological objects. For now, Mia has decided to present this pot to the public as an opportunity to raise awareness of archaeological looting in Africa and elsewhere and to remind us that art museums once benefited from those illegal activities. Djenne

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