A rare and ancient pair of standing statues, each holding a vase on its head, reminiscent of the large Bamana wooden statues from the Jo and Gwan companies. They display all the formal characteristics of the great Bankoni classical style. Bankoni, Mali Date: 1224 - 1474 A.D. Terracotta, with visible age-old chips, slight surface erosion, beautiful orange-ochre slip. H. 43 and 51 cm Provenance : - Roger Lefèvre, Brussels - Marc Blanpain Collection, Brussels Publications and Exhibitions: - Bacquart, The Tribal Arts of Africa / L'Art tribal d'Afrique noire, 1998, p. 59, n° #C - Grunne (de), Dreams of Beauty. African Sculptures from the Blanpain Collection, 2005, no. 6, Luxembourg, Banque Générale du Luxembourg, October 25 - December 2, 2005