African Art Dogon Altar Statue

Description: Ref: sf-946Height 27 CM Dogon altar statuette from Mali. Old piece over 50 years old. The Dogons are a people of Mali, in West Africa. Their total population in Mali is estimated at 700,000 people1. They occupy the region, called Dogon Country, which extends from the Bandiagara cliff to the southwest of the Niger bend. Some Dogons are settled in the north of Burkina Faso, others have settled in Ivory Coast. The Dogons are above all farmers (mainly of millet) and blacksmiths. They are renowned for their cosmogony and their sculptures. The language spoken by the Dogons is Dogon, which includes several dialects. There is also a secret language, sigi so, a language reserved for the society of masks. The Dogons are related to the Bozo ethnic group by joking kinship (called sinankunya in Mali). Dogons and Bozos mock each other, but at the same time, they owe each other mutual assistance. In Mali, the Dogon are the heirs of an exceptional ethnic artistic tradition: Each work of art bears witness both to the intimacy of families – the works are not intended to be seen but on the contrary preserved in the shadows of houses, such as in the sanctuary – and to the representation of a unique cosmogony which structures daily life as well as the rhythm and rituals of societal or initiatory ceremonies. Cosmogony and social organization Dogon or Hebbe literally means "pagan"; that is, one who refuses to integrate into Islam.The Dogon worship the god Amma. Amma according to their cosmogony had the appearance of an egg.Dogon statuary always features ovoid heads signifying this God of the sky.Amma is associated with eight ancestors, representing the hierarchy of a society built on a patriarchal model.These eight ancestors respond to a specific profession and colors:Blacksmith and Potter – Red and BlueFarmer – white and greenSculptor - orangeDancer – whiteTrader – blackThe master of speech/weaving – green. Dogon Masks and Statuary Associated with ancestor worship, Dogon masks made in memory of the deceased - Sirige mask, Kanaga mask, are often accompanied by zoomorphic masks whose function is to protect the living by recovering the vital force of extinct beings or animals. Unlike statues, these masks are sculpted by non-specialists.The sculpture of statues belongs to the blacksmith who publicly executes works whose quality depends on the wealth of the person who places the order.African art, African maskPart delivered with an invoice and a certificate of authenticity.african art african tribal arte africana afrikanische kunstThe Dogons are above all farmers (mainly of millet) and blacksmiths. They are renowned for their cosmogony and their sculptures. The language spoken by the Dogons is Dogon, which includes several dialects. There is also a secret language, sigi so, a language reserved for the society of masks. The Dogons are related to the Bozo ethnic group by joking kinship (called sinankunya in Mali). Dogons and Bozos mock each other, but at the same time, they owe each other mutual assistance. In Mali, the Dogon are the heirs of an exceptional ethnic artistic tradition: Each work of art bears witness both to the intimacy of families – the works are not intended to be seen but on the contrary preserved in the shadows of houses, such as in the sanctuary – and to the representation of a unique cosmogony whi

Price: 387.79 USD

Location: Bastia

End Time: 2025-01-08T08:25:17.000Z

Shipping Cost: 27.04 USD