Wood Equestrian Statue from Mali in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, February 2020

Title: Equestrian

Date: ca. 1400

Geography: Mali

Culture: Soninke peoples

Medium: Wood

Dimensions: H. 21 3/8 × W. 6 1/2 in. (54.3 (59.7) × 16.5 cm)

Classification: Sculpture-Wood

Credit Line: Private collection


On a practical level, the horse provided heightened mobility in the Sahel. Berber nomads of the Sahara kept horses as a sign of status. Soninke people positioned near the desert’s southern edge acquired North African horses from them. Especially useful in warfare, horses gave Soninke leaders a military advantage over neighboring peoples of the savanna. In this equestrian pairing, the horse is a highly abstract yet recognizable presence.

Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/778955