An antique circa 13th century Middle Niger, Africa, Djenne Jeno archaeological site terracotta piece. Full body portrait of a man in a kneeling position with arms hugging himself in almost mourning. The body is fully covered with skin excrescences that may represent smallpox according to several parallel medical and historians studies. The oldest known city in sub-Saharan Africa: Jenne-jeno flourished in the ninth century A.D., but declined and was abandoned by 1400. Items of cast brass and forged iron, clay vessels, and figures like this one survive. They testify to what scholars contend was a richly varied and highly sophisticated urban society. Recovered terracotta figures are frequently quite detailed, specially on skin and other body interventions like skin scarification. Untested, no documents available. Provenance: Kamyas Antiquities and Ethnographic Art, NYC. Weight 2102 grams.

Dimensions: H 10 in. All measurements are approximate.