A remarkable statuary in wood, clay and bronze flourished between A.D. 800 et 1700 in the region of the Inland Delta of the Middle Niger region in Mali. The Paleo-Style is one of the most important achievement of the Mande oikumene from original Greek meaning of a “civilized” world and whose centre of gravity is today in the sacred shrine of Kangaba in Mali.
These artistic styles from the Mande are a true “Gift of the River” to paraphrase Michael Coe,1 appearing between the
Bandiagara plateau and the vast alluvial flood plain of the inland Niger delta, spreading over 160.000 square km and
delineated by the great Niger river and its affluent the Bani.
In the Mande epic traditions, the spiritual dimensions of the most famous and celebrated Soninke figure, King Sunjata
Keita, are expressed through his power of sorcery and his ability to communicate with ancestors through sacrifices of
humans and animals upon “power objects”.
