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Ring
before 1975
- Medium
- Copper alloy
- Classification
- Jewelry
- Dimensions
- Diameter: 6.4 x 1.7 cm (2 1/2 x 11/16 in.)
- Culture
- Africa, West Africa, Mali, Dogon-style maker
- Museum
- Cleveland Museum of Art, African Art
- Credit line
- The Harold T. Clark Educational Extension Fund
- Rights
- Public domain (CC0), as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Tweens profiles and older: its subjects are known and suit older children. How works are placed
View at the Cleveland Museum of Art
About this work
This ring may have belonged to a Hogon, the highest religious dignitary in a Dogon community, who wore it among the many insignia of his status. The horse is a kind of moving throne, indicating the physical and symbolic power of its rider, who is placed physically in space above others. While it is difficult to make out details on the rider, the horse is well-equipped with a bridle and saddle. The circular shapes at the front and back of the animal's sides may represent shields. To make this ring, a smith first modeled it in wax. The wax was covered in clay and melted out when baked, leaving behind a mold to pour liquid metal into.
