An ancient and rare equestrian statue, the movement of the sculpture is particularly striking: the animal (unidentified), its hind legs bent, seems ready to pounce, while the rider, his right hand on his weapon, is in a position to attack. The rich harnessing, the characteristic finery and the rare decoration on the base make this one of the most important pieces in its corpus. Djenné civilization, Mali Date: AD 975-1225 (ASA TL812.055) Smooth, light-colored terracotta, old black concretions visible, old missing parts visible, notably the animal's head, beautiful sanguine slip H. 24 cm Provenance : - Pierre Dartevelle, Brussels - Marc Blanpain Collection, Brussels Publications and Exhibitions : - Grunne (de), Dreams of beauty. African Sculptures from the Blanpain Collection, 2005, no. 18, Luxembourg, Banque Générale du Luxembourg, October 25 - December 2, 2005 - Grunne (de), Djenné-Jeno. 1000 ans de sculpture en terre cuite au Mali / Djenné-Jeno. 1000 years of terracotta statuary in Mali, 2014, n° 252