Djennenke Bronze Sculpture of a Seated Female

Seated on a stool the woman's hands are resting on the knees of her short legs. Her highly elongated arms and torso are very erect, with a slight bulge at the stomach and flaccid skin under the drooping breasts. These features indicate she is an elder or ancestral figure. Her dish-like face, with well-defined features and high forehead, are typical of Djenne style. The flared crest on her head may imitate a coiffure or headdress. Six thick bracelets on each arm present a cylindrical element in contrast with the sheer vertically of the body; as does the nine loops on the back and the delicate earring. These loops suggest the figure was made to be attached to an altar, or even as part of ornamentation. The exaggerated anatomical features are, paradoxically, done in such a way as to heighten the 'human' quality of the woman, giving her a sense of humility mixed with nobility; and also considerable charm.