{"id":729,"date":"2025-12-29T14:35:33","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T14:35:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/handmadeartcraft.com\/?post_type=product&#038;p=729"},"modified":"2025-12-29T15:19:24","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T15:19:24","slug":"dogon-tellem-figure","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/handmadeartcraft.com\/?product=dogon-tellem-figure","title":{"rendered":"Dogon Tellem figure"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"756\" data-end=\"1278\">This <strong data-start=\"761\" data-end=\"784\">Dogon Tellem figure<\/strong> represents one of the most remarkable and historically significant forms of African wood sculpture. Originating from the <strong data-start=\"906\" data-end=\"931\">Tellem people of Mali<\/strong>, the \u201cthose who were here before us,\u201d these ancestors inhabited the Bandiagara Escarpment long before the present-day Dogon arrived. They created unique wooden statues with a stylized, simplified aesthetic and a distinctive dark, crusty patina\u2014some of the oldest surviving examples of African wood art, dating between the 11th and 15th centuries.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1280\" data-end=\"1745\">The Tellem, a farming people likely from the Niger River region, sought refuge in the natural crevices and caves of the escarpment to escape external pressures, such as the expansion of the Ghana Empire. During this period, they produced their remarkable sculptures, which were later discovered by the arriving Dogon. These objects were incorporated into Dogon altars and inspired subsequent Dogon statuary traditions, including the famous figures with raised arms.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1747\" data-end=\"2109\">This particular statue, sourced from the esteemed <strong data-start=\"1797\" data-end=\"1821\">B. Berete collection<\/strong>, exhibits exceptional craftsmanship, a rare and well-preserved patina, and an extraordinary sense of historical presence. Only one comparable high-quality example is known to exist on the market (the R. Duperrier collection, sold in 1993), highlighting the extreme rarity of such pieces.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2111\" data-end=\"2488\">Dogon Tellem figures are not only visually striking but also culturally and historically profound: they encapsulate <strong data-start=\"2227\" data-end=\"2322\">ancestral memory, ritual significance, and the early development of sub-Saharan African art<\/strong>. This piece is an outstanding opportunity for collectors, museums, and galleries seeking a <strong data-start=\"2414\" data-end=\"2485\">museum-quality artifact with deep provenance and cultural resonance<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2490\" data-end=\"2507\"><strong data-start=\"2490\" data-end=\"2505\">Highlights:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"2508\" data-end=\"2775\">\n<li data-start=\"2508\" data-end=\"2551\">\n<p data-start=\"2510\" data-end=\"2551\">Authentic Dogon Tellem figure from Mali<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2552\" data-end=\"2611\">\n<p data-start=\"2554\" data-end=\"2611\">Early sub-Saharan African sculpture (11th\u201315th century)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2612\" data-end=\"2657\">\n<p data-start=\"2614\" data-end=\"2657\">Rich, dark, crusty patina from ritual use<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2658\" data-end=\"2718\">\n<p data-start=\"2660\" data-end=\"2718\">Historically connected to ancestral and ritual practices<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2719\" data-end=\"2775\">\n<p data-start=\"2721\" data-end=\"2775\">Rare collector\u2019s item with museum-quality provenance<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"232\" data-end=\"723\">This rare <strong data-start=\"242\" data-end=\"265\">Dogon Tellem figure<\/strong> from Mali is a quintessential example of early sub-Saharan African sculpture. Carved in stylized wood with a rich, dark patina, it originates from the Tellem people\u2014predecessors of the Dogon\u2014who inhabited the Bandiagara Escarpment between the 11th and 15th centuries. A museum-quality, historically significant piece, it embodies ancestral memory, ritual significance, and ancient African artistic mastery, making it a highly coveted collector\u2019s treasure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":730,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[23,21,16],"product_tag":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-729","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-ritual-object","7":"product_cat-royal-collections","8":"product_cat-statues-ritual-sculptures","10":"first","11":"instock","12":"shipping-taxable","13":"purchasable","14":"product-type-simple"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/handmadeartcraft.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/product\/729","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/handmadeartcraft.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/handmadeartcraft.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/handmadeartcraft.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=729"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/handmadeartcraft.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/handmadeartcraft.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/handmadeartcraft.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fproduct_brand&post=729"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/handmadeartcraft.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fproduct_cat&post=729"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/handmadeartcraft.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fproduct_tag&post=729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}