Dogon Wooden Ritual Object, 19th Century CE - 20th Century CE
Wood, patina
6.25 x 16.5
X.0194 (LSO)
This powerful object is a shrine figure made by the Dogon of Mali. It comprises a drum-shaped core with a vertical section finishing in a rounded finial. The whole perimeter...
This powerful object is a shrine figure made by the Dogon of Mali. It comprises a drum-shaped core with a vertical section finishing in a rounded finial. The whole perimeter of the piece is adorned with high-relief anthropomorphic figures with elongated bodies and their heads connected to them only by long beards. They appear to be female, but like the rest of the piece their detailing is partly concealed by an exceptionally dark and aged patination.
The Dogon people of the Bandiagara escarpment, Mali, have been described as the most studied and least understood tribal group in Africa. Their culture is exceptionally ancient and complex. They moved to this area in the 15th century, escaping slavery at the hands of Islamic groups, and displaced a number of tribes that were living on the escarpment at the time. They are artistically prolific, making masks/figures in stone, iron, bronze/copper and of course wood, as well as cave/rock painting. While Islam is prominent in the Dogon area, their art is defiantly figurative, a tradition which of course is technically banned under Islamic law.
There are 78 mask forms still in production (and numerous extinct variants), which have applications including circumcision, initiation, funeral rites (damas) and the commemoration of twins, snakes, ancestors (nommo) and hogons (holy men). Decorated secular items such as headrests, granary doors/locks and troughs are also known. The Dogon took inspiration from Tellem (lit. “we found them”) sculptures recovered from caves on the escarpment, and may be the stylistic inheritors of the Djenne tradition . Most figures were not made to be seen publicly, and are commonly kept by the spiritual leader (hogon) away from the public eye, in family houses or sanctuaries.
The Dogon are obsessed with their ancestors, both historical and mythical. They dedicate altars to their memory, and install pieces that represent real or fictional beings such as the semi-human “nommo” that feature at the very genesis of the Dogon people. This piece is one such; the encrustations reflect long usage as a shrine figure, and the unusual elongation and schematisation of the figures indicated that they may be nommo.
This is a rare and unusual piece of Dogon art.
The Dogon people of the Bandiagara escarpment, Mali, have been described as the most studied and least understood tribal group in Africa. Their culture is exceptionally ancient and complex. They moved to this area in the 15th century, escaping slavery at the hands of Islamic groups, and displaced a number of tribes that were living on the escarpment at the time. They are artistically prolific, making masks/figures in stone, iron, bronze/copper and of course wood, as well as cave/rock painting. While Islam is prominent in the Dogon area, their art is defiantly figurative, a tradition which of course is technically banned under Islamic law.
There are 78 mask forms still in production (and numerous extinct variants), which have applications including circumcision, initiation, funeral rites (damas) and the commemoration of twins, snakes, ancestors (nommo) and hogons (holy men). Decorated secular items such as headrests, granary doors/locks and troughs are also known. The Dogon took inspiration from Tellem (lit. “we found them”) sculptures recovered from caves on the escarpment, and may be the stylistic inheritors of the Djenne tradition . Most figures were not made to be seen publicly, and are commonly kept by the spiritual leader (hogon) away from the public eye, in family houses or sanctuaries.
The Dogon are obsessed with their ancestors, both historical and mythical. They dedicate altars to their memory, and install pieces that represent real or fictional beings such as the semi-human “nommo” that feature at the very genesis of the Dogon people. This piece is one such; the encrustations reflect long usage as a shrine figure, and the unusual elongation and schematisation of the figures indicated that they may be nommo.
This is a rare and unusual piece of Dogon art.