West African Terracotta Sculpture Tradition

Timeline

1. c. -500–200Nok · NigeriaEarly West African societies such as the Nok culture produced highly abstract human-figure terracottas, possibly used for sacrifice or burial, laying the early foundations of regional terracotta aesthetics and technique.
2. c. 1051–1060Djenné · MoptiSettlements in the Niger River inland delta such as Djenné-Jennaro continued terracotta production during this period, used for religious rituals and communal identity, reflecting the sustained cultural vitality of Sahel trade-city networks.
3. c. 1100–1400Ife · OsunThe Yoruba kingdom of Ife produced naturalistic terracottas and copper-alloy heads of exquisite craftsmanship, marking a new height of the West African terracotta tradition in the context of complex city-states and influencing later Benin art.