Sahel: Art and Empires on the Shores of the Sahara at The Met Fifth Avenue

Sahel: Art and Empires on the Shores of the Sahara

January 30, 2020 — May 10, 2020

From the first millennium, the western Sahel—a vast region in Africa just south of the Sahara Desert that spans what is today Senegal, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger—was the birthplace of a succession of influential polities. Fueled by a network of global trade routes extending across the region, the empires of Ghana (300–1200), Mali (1230–1600), Songhay (1464–1591), and Segu (1640–1861) cultivated an enormously rich material culture.

Sahel: Art and Empires on the Shores of the Sahara is the first exhibition of its kind to trace the legacy of those mighty states and what they produced in the visual arts. The presentation brings into focus transformative developments—such as the rise and fall of political dynasties, and the arrival of Islam—through some two hundred objects, including sculptures in wood, stone, fired clay, and bronze; objects in gold and cast metal; woven and dyed textiles; and illuminated manuscripts.

Highlights include loans from the region's national collections, such as a magnificent ancient terracotta equestrian figure (third through eleventh century) from the Institut de Recherches en Sciences Humaines, University of Niamey, Niger; and a dazzling twelfth-century gold pectoral that is a Senegalese national treasure, from the Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire, in Dakar.

The exhibition and its accompanying catalogue bring together an array of cross-disciplinary perspectives on the material, with contributions from historians specializing in oral traditions and Islam, archaeologists, philosophers, and art historians.

Learn More

Watch the trailer for Sahel: Art and Empires on the Shores of the Sahara.

The Met Fifth Avenue

1000 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10028

Exhibition Highlights

Figure | Dogon peoples, Mali, Yayé Musée du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac, Paris Collected in Yayé by the Mission Paulme-Lifchitz 1935; Musée de l’Homme, Paris; transferred to the Musée du quai Branly in 2006 — Figure | Dogon peoples, Mali, Yayé
Musée du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac, Paris
Collected in Yayé by the Mission Paulme-Lifchitz 1935; Musée de l’Homme, Paris; transferred to the Musée du quai Branly in 2006

Pectoral (The Rao Pectoral) and Five Gold Beads | Senegal, Rao/Nguiguela Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal (IFAN) (41 32) Excavated in Nguiguela's tumulus P by Jean Joire, 1941 — Pectoral (The Rao Pectoral) and Five Gold Beads | Senegal, Rao/Nguiguela
Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal (IFAN) (41 32)
Excavated in Nguiguela's tumulus P by Jean Joire, 1941

Kneeling Female Figure | Bankoni civilization, Mali Private collection Count Baudouin de Grunne, before 1974; Musée Dapper, Paris — Kneeling Female Figure | Bankoni civilization, Mali
Private collection
Count Baudouin de Grunne, before 1974; Musée Dapper, Paris

Couple with Raised Arms | Tellem civilization, Bandiagara Escarmpent, Mali Collection of Ana and Antonio Casanovas Jacques Kerchache, Paris, acquired by 1982, until 2001; Ana and Antonio Casanovas, Madrid, from about 2001 — Couple with Raised Arms | Tellem civilization, Bandiagara Escarmpent, Mali
Collection of Ana and Antonio Casanovas
Jacques Kerchache, Paris, acquired by 1982, until 2001; Ana and Antonio Casanovas, Madrid, from about 2001

Hand | Niger, Bura-Asinda-Sikka Institut de Recherches en Sciences Humaines, Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey, Niger Excavated at the site Bura-Asinda-Sikka by Boubé Gado, 1985; at IRSH, Niamey, Niger since 1985 — Hand | Niger, Bura-Asinda-Sikka
Institut de Recherches en Sciences Humaines, Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey, Niger
Excavated at the site Bura-Asinda-Sikka by Boubé Gado, 1985; at IRSH, Niamey, Niger since 1985

Bala players | Dogon peoples, Mali, North central Bandiagara Plateau Private collection Acquired by Hélène Kamer in Mali, 1963 — Bala players | Dogon peoples, Mali, North central Bandiagara Plateau
Private collection
Acquired by Hélène Kamer in Mali, 1963

Commemorative Stela for Bariqa, Daughter of Kuri, Inscribed in Ornamental Kufic | Mali, Gao or Saney Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal Excavated in Saney in 1940-41; IFAN, Dakar, since 1950 — Commemorative Stela for Bariqa, Daughter of Kuri, Inscribed in Ornamental Kufic | Mali, Gao or Saney
Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal
Excavated in Saney in 1940-41; IFAN, Dakar, since 1950

Kneeling Dignitary | Middle Niger civilization, Inner Niger Delta, Mali Private collection Philippe Guimiot, Brussels, 1981; collection of Count Baudouin de Grunne, Brussels, 1984 — Kneeling Dignitary | Middle Niger civilization, Inner Niger Delta, Mali
Private collection
Philippe Guimiot, Brussels, 1981; collection of Count Baudouin de Grunne, Brussels, 1984

Ornament: Head with Raised Arms | Middle Niger civilization, Mali, Inner Niger Delta Musée Barbier-Mueller, Geneva (1004-85) Acquired from Merton D. Simpson, New York, 1983 — Ornament: Head with Raised Arms | Middle Niger civilization, Mali, Inner Niger Delta
Musée Barbier-Mueller, Geneva (1004-85)
Acquired from Merton D. Simpson, New York, 1983

Pendant: Equestrian | Dogon or Bozo peoples, Mali Purchase, Edith Perry Chapman Fund, 1975. 1975.205 Alan Brandt, New York, until 1975 — Pendant: Equestrian | Dogon or Bozo peoples, Mali
Purchase, Edith Perry Chapman Fund, 1975. 1975.205
Alan Brandt, New York, until 1975

Kneeling Male Figure | Dogon peoples, Mali Private collection Collection George Ortiz, until 1978; (Sotheby's London, June 29 1978); acquired by the current owner from the auction, 1978-present. — Kneeling Male Figure | Dogon peoples, Mali
Private collection
Collection George Ortiz, until 1978; (Sotheby's London, June 29 1978); acquired by the current owner from the auction, 1978-present.

Female Body (Venus of Thiaroye) | Senegal Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal (SEN 67-21) Discovered in Thiaroye-sur-Mer, 1967. — Female Body (Venus of Thiaroye) | Senegal
Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal (SEN 67-21)
Discovered in Thiaroye-sur-Mer, 1967.

Seated Hermaphrodite Figure | Dogon peoples, Mali Collection of James J. and Laura Ross Georges de Miré, Paris, before 1930; (Hotel Drouot, Paris, May 7, 1931, lot 35); Louis Carré, Paris; Jacob Epstein, London; Carlo Monzino, Lugano, from 1980; (So… — Seated Hermaphrodite Figure | Dogon peoples, Mali
Collection of James J. and Laura Ross
Georges de Miré, Paris, before 1930; (Hotel Drouot, Paris, May 7, 1931, lot 35); Louis Carré, Paris; Jacob Epstein, London; Carlo Monzino, Lugano, from 1980; (Sotheby's New York [private sale])

Pendant: Male Figure with Crossed Arms | Middle Niger civilization, Mali, Inner Niger Delta Musée Barbier-Mueller, Geneva (1004-125) Acquired from Philippe Guimiot, New York, September 1984 — Pendant: Male Figure with Crossed Arms | Middle Niger civilization, Mali, Inner Niger Delta
Musée Barbier-Mueller, Geneva (1004-125)
Acquired from Philippe Guimiot, New York, September 1984

Female Figure with Raised Arm | Tellem civilization (?), Mali, Ireli (?) The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979 1979.206.64 Collected by Pierre Langlois, 1955-56, Paris (?); [Henri Kamer, Paris and New… — Female Figure with Raised Arm | Tellem civilization (?), Mali, Ireli (?)
The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979 1979.206.64
Collected by Pierre Langlois, 1955-56, Paris (?); [Henri Kamer, Paris and New York]; [Julius Carlebach Gallery, New York, until 1957]; Nelson A. Rockefeller, New York, 1957, on loan to the Museum of Primitive Art, New York, 1957–78

Equestrian | Soninke peoples, Mali Private Collection Jacob Kaplan, New York; [Merton Simpson, New York]; Jacques Kerchache, Paris; [Lance Entwistle, London, until 1996] — Equestrian | Soninke peoples, Mali
Private Collection
Jacob Kaplan, New York; [Merton Simpson, New York]; Jacques Kerchache, Paris; [Lance Entwistle, London, until 1996]

Buffalo | Middle Niger civilization, Mali Collection of Bernice and Sydney Clyman Private collection by 1987; [Lance Entwistle, London, June 1995]; acquired by present owner, 1995 — Buffalo | Middle Niger civilization, Mali
Collection of Bernice and Sydney Clyman
Private collection by 1987; [Lance Entwistle, London, June 1995]; acquired by present owner, 1995

Male Warrior | Soninke peoples, Mali Musée du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac, Paris (73.1977.6.1) Collected by Hélène and Henri Kamer in 1958; Pierre Loeb; (Loudmer-Poulain, Paris, December 3, 1977, lot 7); Musée National des Arts Africains et Océaniens… — Male Warrior | Soninke peoples, Mali
Musée du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac, Paris (73.1977.6.1)
Collected by Hélène and Henri Kamer in 1958; Pierre Loeb; (Loudmer-Poulain, Paris, December 3, 1977, lot 7); Musée National des Arts Africains et Océaniens, Paris, 1977; transferred to the Musée du Quai Branly in 2006

Seated Male Figure | Middle Niger civilization, Ségou Region, Mali Collection of Sidney and Bernice Clyman Philippe Guimiot, Brussels, until 1982; Sidney and Bernice Clyman, New York, from 1982 — Seated Male Figure | Middle Niger civilization, Ségou Region, Mali
Collection of Sidney and Bernice Clyman
Philippe Guimiot, Brussels, until 1982; Sidney and Bernice Clyman, New York, from 1982

Monolith | Mali, Tondidarou Musée du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac, Paris (71.1932.40.67) Collected by Henry Clérisse in 1931–1932; Musée de l'Homme, Paris; transferred to the Musée du Quai Branly in 2006 — Monolith | Mali, Tondidarou
Musée du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac, Paris (71.1932.40.67)
Collected by Henry Clérisse in 1931–1932; Musée de l'Homme, Paris; transferred to the Musée du Quai Branly in 2006

Figure with Raised Arms | Master of Tintam | Dogon peoples, Mali Musée Barbier-Mueller, Geneva (1004-3) Acquired from Emil Storrer, Zürich, by Josef Mueller around 1950 — Figure with Raised Arms | Master of Tintam | Dogon peoples, Mali
Musée Barbier-Mueller, Geneva (1004-3)
Acquired from Emil Storrer, Zürich, by Josef Mueller around 1950

Headrest | Tellem civilization, Mali Musée du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac, Paris Collected by Louis Desplagnes, 1904-1905; donated to the Musée d'Ethnographie du Trocadéro; transferred to the Musée du quai Branly in 2006 — Headrest | Tellem civilization, Mali
Musée du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac, Paris
Collected by Louis Desplagnes, 1904-1905; donated to the Musée d'Ethnographie du Trocadéro; transferred to the Musée du quai Branly in 2006

Sahel’s Musical Traditions

The Epic of Sunjata

With tracks by Salif Keita, Boubacar Traoré, and more this Spotify playlist highlights contemporary renditions of the traditional epic Sunjata.

Field Recordings: Songs of Celebration and Praise

Listen to selections of oral historian David Conrad’s field recordings in Mali and the Gambia including celebration and praise songs in vocals by female and male griots, and the retelling of local histories and epics.

The exhibition is made possible by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, the Gail and Parker Gilbert Fund, the Diane W. and James E. Burke Fund, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Laura G. & James J. Ross, and The International Council of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The catalogue is made possible in part by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and The MCS Endowment Fund.