The rise of one of the main ancient urban civilizations of the world, centered on the middle Niger delta in Mali, generated the terracotta statuary of Djenné-jeno, one of the finest artistic styles in Africa, which flourished between 700 and 1700 A.D. The Djenné-jeno sculpture arose amidst the vast floodplain of the Inner Niger Delta, which spans over 160,000 square kilometers and is framed by the mighty Niger River and its tributary the Bani. This magnificent artistic style is a real "gift of the River". The artistic style of Djenné-jeno is one of the greatest successes resulting from the conceptual framework of the oikoumene of the Mandé - a term as strong and multiple as its original Greek meaning, which refers to a "civilized" world - whose center of gravity is the Sacred Case of Kangaba, in southern Mali. This Mandé oikoumene, which dates back from the fifteen-sixteenth century demonstrates the fabulous artistic styles of ancient terracotta figures from the Inner Niger Delta.