Ring (before 1975): Art, History and Details

Ring (before 1975) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the 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.

Object facts

• Title: Ring
• Date: before 1975
• Culture: Africa, West Africa, Mali, Dogon-style maker
• Type: Jewelry
• Technique: Copper alloy
• Dimensions: Diameter: 6.4 x 1.7 cm (2 1/2 x 11/16 in.)
• Collection: African Art
• Department: African Art
• Accession number: 1975.1008

A detail from the museum

Horses were known in the region of present-day Mali from early eras, recorded in the accounts of the Arab traveler Ibn Battuta in 1352, and in the Malian epic Soundiata, where riders on horseback masterfully used lances and swords

Collection credit

The Harold T. Clark Educational Extension Fund

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.