"This black Lord is called Musse Melly and is the sovereign of the land of the negroes of Gineva [Ghana]. This king is the richest and noblest of all these lands due to the abundance of gold that is extracted from his lands." [Notice the size of the gold piece he is holding]
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Inhabited since 250 B.C., Djenné became a market centre and an important link in the trans-Saharan gold trade. In the 15th and 16th centuries, it was one of the centres for the propagation of Islam.
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Some scholars suggest the riders’ finery and the horses’ elaborate bells and bridles represent ceremonial dress rather than battle-ready gear. Others associate these representations, in which man and horse are defined by strong vertical and horizontal lines, with the legendary forces allied with the ancient Malian empire. In that context, the quiver slung diagonally across this rider’s back was emblematic of royal power.
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Earrings, pendant, and ring. Probably manufactured in Western Sudan, and excavated at Durbi Takusheyi, Nigeria.
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