Horse puppet
The rider of this horse made the most of its absurd proportions by acting as a ritual buffoon, mocking a warrior's bravado before a crowd that enjoyed parodies of powerful leaders. Shooting with a wooden machine gun or brandishing a toy sword in the air, the warrior was one of several characters subjected to the satire of Bamana actors. Collector Katherine White (who bought the horse from a Malian trader) envisioned a lively counterpart in Spanish literature: "This is the horse that an African Don Quixote would ride."
Wood, fabric, metal, string, and hair
12 3/8 x 5 1/4 in. (31.5 x 13.3 cm)
L.: 28 1/2 in.
Gift of Katherine White and the Boeing Company
81.17.28
Provenance: [Sulaiman Diané, New York]; purchased from gallery by Katherine White (1929-1980), Seattle, Washington, 1972; bequeathed to Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 1981