The Inspiration! Cloth Calendar from Senegal 1971.

Jennifer Kirby

Senegal Folk Tale

Glass Mosaic

17.25 x 16.25

$3200

The Tale of Fari the Donkey Queen

The artwork is based on a famous Senegalese folk tale about a community of wild donkeys during a time of severe famine. To survive, the donkeys use magic to transform themselves into beautiful human women.

·       The Metamorphosis: Their queen, named Fari, leads them into a human village. Because of their incredible beauty and grace, Fari quickly captures the heart of the local king, who marries her and makes her his queen.

• The Secret: The only condition for the donkeys to maintain their human form is that they must never hear the sound of a specific rhythm or a magical song. If the song is sung or played, they lose control and turn back into donkeys.

• The Exposure: The stamp depicts the climax of the legend. A suspicious villager or royal court member (shown standing on the right) discovers their secret. He plays the forbidden music, forcing the queen and her court to transform back into their true forms right in front of the village.

The stylized imagery captures the fluid, mystical transition of the figures changing between human and animal forms under the setting sun.