Horse and Rider

Accession Number
1983/2.79

Title
Horse and Rider

Artist(s)
Dogon

Artist Nationality
Dogon (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
circa 1960

Medium & Support
carved wood

Dimensions
17 9/16 in x 30 1/2 in x 6 7/16 in (44.6 cm x 77.5 cm x 16.4 cm)

Credit Line
Given in memory of Professor Chet LaMore

Label copy
Horse and rider images are common in Dogon art. The theme, in general, connotes wealth, status, and often nobility. Horses are rare in the region and must be imported. Because they are so expensive, they are not used for agricultural purposes but are used, instead, to transport important individuals. This particular sculpture was carved as a copy to an earlier horse and rider taken from a sanctuary at Orosongo to Paris in the 1930s, though it is likely that the latter artist never saw the original. The original was carved in two pieces, while this is carved from one. Its somewhat "cubist" style may have made the copy desirable in the Western market.

Primary Object Classification
Wood and Woodcarving

Primary Object Type
figure

Collection Area
African

Rights
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& Author Notes

Web Use Permitted