Dark Sejnane Woman Sculpture
One-of-a-kind hand-built pottery sculpture by Hadda Saidani in Sejnane, Tunisia.
This freestanding woman figure has a broad, rounded body, modelled breasts, and long curved arms extending toward the front of the torso. Its prominent ears, closed eyes, long nose, and slightly open mouth give the face a quiet yet distinctive expression.
A deep black surface brings the figure’s modelling into focus, with subtle grey and brown tonal variation visible across the face and body. Traces of shaping and hand-finishing remain present throughout the sculpture.
Made without a potter’s wheel, the work reflects Hadda Saidani’s individual sculptural practice within the wider pottery tradition of Sejnane. It stands independently and measures approximately 30 centimetres high.
- Maker: Hadda Saidani
- Origin: Sejnane, Tunisia
- Object: Freestanding woman figure
- Material: Hand-built earthenware
- Technique: Formed by hand without a potter’s wheel
- Colour: Deep black with subtle grey and brown tonal variation
- Height: Approximately 30 cm
- Use: Decorative sculpture
Each sculpture is formed and decorated individually by hand. Variations in modelling, proportions, markings, colour and surface belong to its handmade character, so no two pieces will be exactly alike.
Hadda Saidani is a potter and sculptor from Sejnane in northern Tunisia. Her work includes vessels and sculptural forms, particularly individually modelled human figures.
This sculpture belongs to a group of four documented figures by Hadda, each approximately 30 centimetres high but different in proportion, modelling, decoration, and surface treatment.
Meet Hadda Saidani and explore her work.
Sejnane pottery is sustained through women’s knowledge of local clay, hand-building, surface preparation, decoration, drying, and firing. Objects are formed without a potter’s wheel, allowing the maker’s hands and decisions to remain visible in each finished piece.
Discover the pottery tradition of Sejnane.
See how Sejnane pottery is made without a wheel.
Display indoors on a stable, level surface. Lift the sculpture with both hands from its base and body rather than from its head or other projecting details.
Keep it away from impacts, prolonged moisture and sudden temperature changes. Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth. Do not use abrasive or chemical cleaning products.