An important fragmentary female sculpture in a rare position - Lot 160

An important fragmentary female sculpture in a rare position, overlaid with multiple classical representations of the horned serpent. The extraordinary position of this particularly massive terracotta sculpture, from the former collection of New York dealer and collector Merton Simpson, is reminiscent of the position of the remaining leg of another famous Djenne sculpture, a jewel in the collections of the Musée du Quai Branly Jacques Chirac, and formerly bequeathed by Pierre Harter (inv.73.1991.0.39). Indeed, the extraordinary inventory of Djenne terracotta sculptures shows us both male and female figures, often adorned with snakes, maternity figures, horsemen, sometimes serene and rather static, but also for many of them in a multitude of different positions, always testifying to great humanity but also to suffering, illness or torment. The upturned legs sometimes seem to evoke childbirth, or even acrobatics, but they are often just as clearly the indications of tortured people whose heads have been twisted or whose joints have been broken and limbs turned inside out. The art known as Djenne constitutes one of the most fascinating bodies of sculpture of all the ancient arts of Africa, and this important sculpture completes and enriches its inventory, also for a better understanding of the arts and history. See La Collection Musée du Quai Branly, Skira Flammarion, Paris 2009 p.32 n°4 for the sculpture from the former P.Harter collection. Djenne civilization, 11th-16th century, Mali An Asa laboratory thermoluminescence test dated 16/09/1994 will be given to the purchaser. Terracotta, visible accidents and missing parts (head professionally repositioned at height), very fine engobe and remnants of ancient polychromy. Height: 45cm Provenance: Merton Simpson, New York Réginald Groux Collection, Paris