Detail of the Kneeling Female with Crossed Arms from Mali in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, February 2020

Title: Kneeling Female Figure with Crossed Arms

Date: 12th–15th century

Geography: Mali, Inland Niger Delta

Culture: Middle Niger civilization

Medium: Terracotta

Dimensions: H. 20 × W. 8 3/8 × D. 10 3/4 in. (50.8 × 21.3 × 27.3 cm)

Classification: Ceramics-Sculpture

Credit Line: The Menil Collection, Houston


Middle Niger figurative representations feature a diverse cast of protagonists, from committed couples to the striking personage of a kneeling male. Many of these figures assume recumbent, prostrate, or upward-gazing postures. Gestures of arms crossed against the chest or covering the face suggest attitudes of prayer.

Text from: tps://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/736482