Early Tellem Wooden Antique African Headrest Dogon Mali

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Early Tellem Wooden Antique African Headrest Dogon Mali

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Sold Date: 02/10/2008
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Ethnic, Folk & Native American Art

Early Tellem Wooden Antique African Headrest Dogon Mali

An Important Early Tellem Burial Headrest, Exquisite 4 Horse to 4 Hornbill Motif
Antique African Tribal Art - Funerary Sculpture / Prestige Object - Mali

Collected from the: Dogon peoples in the Sanga region of Mali, West Africa - production and use has been archaeologically attributed to the Tellem
Material: Carved wood, fine encrustation throughout
Period: Estimated at 11th to 13th century, please see explanation following photos
Dimensions: 13" length, 5" height, 4.25" width; weight is 13.2 ounces
Condition: Exceptional. Held in a private Parisian collection, the condition of this exquisitely delicate carving remains unchanged since it's late 1940's field acquisition. Remarkably well preserved and intact, no repair, minute age fissures test stable, a single very small nick to the outer upper platform edge apparently occurred at carving or initial burial, considering the consistent patination present, very fine encrustation indicative of lengthy burial throughout. Make special note of the serene expressions on all four horses and especially the artist's use of the horses ears and manes to depict four hornbill heads when the headrest is viewed from above - a truly remarkable find !

Please to fully appreciate this delightful character!

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Of Special Interest
Until recently, it was thought that the headrests were sculpted by both the Tellem and the Dogon. However, the Dogon of today do not use headrests for sleeping, nor as grave gifts in burial caves. After extensive archaeological field studies, Bedaux (1974) concluded that headrests were used by the Tellem as grave gifts between the 11th and 14th centuries, based on studies of forty-seven wooden and twelve iron headrests excavated from Tellem burial caves near Sanga. C-14 studies and other archaeological evidence demonstrated that wooden headrests were used in Tellem burial caves from the 11th through 13th centuries with Tellem iron headrests being used during the 14th century in a votive fashion. Nothing can be said about whether or not these or similar headrests were used for sleeping by the Tellem though, based on the evidence presented, Bedaux determined that headrests were not employed for each burial as headrests were found in only eight of the thirteen Tellem burial caves examined. And, in those caves w headrests were found, t were as few as one per every ten skeletons. The reasons for this are obscure. Bedaux theorized that only persons of certain social status received grave gifts, including headrests, which may well account for the low ratio of headrests to skeletons. Bedaux classified the forty-seven headrests excavated into three broad categories that he termed I, II and III though only three of the Type I examples were found, far too few to draw any conclusions about their use. The Type II headrests were simple in design, consisting of a rectangle or square tablet resting on a low circular base, which he believed were used for female burials. However, the Type III headrests, used for male burials, were more elaborate. They consisted of a concave rectangular tablet resting on one, two or more legs which in turn connected to an oval, rectangular or circular flat bottom. T was great variation in the form of these Type III headrests: some present a simple rectangular shape with low supporting legs while others consist of two rectangles connected by a large single supporting pole or several small supporting poles. The top rectangle was often markedly concave and rounded at both ends while others depicted representational forms such as stylized lizard, bird or horse heads on either one or both ends of the concave rectangular top. A number of geometricized forms were often present on the surfaces of these headrests. See Imperato's Dogon Cliff Dwellers for further details on these fascinating cultures.

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