Wood

The importance of Dogon sculpture has been enhanced by intense study of their culture, ongoing since the 1930s, and by the picturesque quality of their compact villages on arid scarps, where traditional ceremonies are still held. Hardwood shrine figures, like the present example, are still in traditional use, although they usually lack the signs of age and use seen on this figure. This representation of a woman carries on her head a vessel whose open bowl and supporting stem recall a wine glass. She stands erect, steadying the pot with her left hand, while her right arm is lowered to her side. The figure displays typical Dogon rendering of the body as composed of a combination of distinct parts: a large head with incised features and a horizontal jawline rests on a cylindrical neck that is connected to square shoulders with projecting breasts and long arms, the right one echoing the form of the long torso with its prominent navel. Wrap-around hips merge with legs bent at the knees and feet firmly placed on a small base. The present figure probably received applications of sacrificial material during long use as a shrine figure, as evidenced by its fine, cracked light-brown patina.

Provenance:
From the Estate of Liz Claiborne and Arthur Ortenberg

Read more about the Liz Claiborne and Arthur Ortenberg Collection here.

Height: 13 inches