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Dimitri André

A female Dogon sculpture kneeling on a flat round base, with one arm upraising; a black patina, extremly hard weathered wood.

A figure with raised arms is one of the most common types of Dogon sculpture.

A number of interrelated meanings have been given to Dogon sculptures with raised arms. In their later work, Griaule and Dieterlen interpreted the gesture of raised arms as representing various aspects of Nommo's role in organizing and purifying the universe and his elationship with Amma, the Creator (Griaule and Dieterlen, 1986: 381-85). Earlier, the gesture had been said to indicate communication between the earth and heaven (Leiris, 1933: 30), specifically a prayer for rain, an essential commodity in the arid environment in which the Dogon people live. This latter interpretation is bolstered by the appearance of this gesture in actual Dogon ritual. Sacrifices to elicit rain are made on altars called andugo, which are dedicated to the spiritual being Nomrrio, who is present in all water, including rain. Andugo altars consist of ancient stone axes believed by the Dogon to have been sent down by Nommo with the rain, iron hooks called gobo, and sometimes wooden figures. After making a sacrifice over the altar and building a fire whose thick smoke is said to attract dark rain clouds, the officiant holds a gobo in his outstretched arm and brings it back over his head, making a hooking gesture to pull the rain-bearing clouds closer (Dieterlen and Ganay, 1942: 36, 3). Source: Art of the Dogon, by Kate Ezra.

Lit.: Hélène Leloup: Dogon: Weltkulturerbe Afrikas, Katalog zur Ausstellung in Bonn, Bundeskunsthalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland,14.01.2011 - 22.01.2012, München 2011; Hélène Leloup/William Rubin/Richard Serra/Georg Baselitz: Dogon Statuary, Strasbourg 1994.

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Sculpture - Wood - Dogon - Mali 

African Art

Reserve price

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Closing date

tomorrow

today

Wednesday

18 January

Sunday

19 January

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Location

Belgium

France

Germany

Austria

Spain

The Netherlands

Italy

Portugal

United Kingdom

Hungary

Japan

Poland

Object

Tribal art and objects

Tribal masks

Tribal sculptures statues carvings and figurines

Figure

Sculpture

Mask

Dance mask

Fetish figure

Ancestor figure

Coin

Statue

Tribal currency

Tribal weaponry and shields

Tribal textiles and clothing

Painting

Headrest

Stool

Reliquary

Cane

Carving

Neck rest

Figurine

Pipe

Country of origin

DR Congo

Nigeria

Mali

Côte d'Ivoire

Congo

Burkina Faso

Cameroon

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Gabon

Côte d’Ivoire

Ghana

Tanzania

Angola

Benin

Togo

Africa

South Africa

Belgian Congo

Sudan

Ethiopia

Guinea-Bissau

Kenya

Madagascar

Zambia

Congo DRC

Material

Wood

Bronze

Terracotta

Leather

Brass

Stone

Copper

Iron

Glass

Patinated bronze

Ebony

Iron (wrought)

Bone

Earthenware

Iron (cast/wrought)

Textiles

Cotton

Cold painted bronze

Shell

Cord

Hair

Wrought iron

Silver

Clay

Soapstone

Condition

Good condition

Fair condition

Excellent condition

Good condition - used with small signs of aging & blemishes

Excellent condition: barely used with minimal signs of wear

Ungraded

Good

Fair condition -  heavily used & with possibly minor parts missing

Needs restoration

Excellent

Good condition - used with some signs of wear

Good condition - used with small signs of ageing

Very good

Fair

As new - unused

Vintage - used with visible signs of wear

Fair condition (restored), see description

Fair condition, see description

Fair condition - used with visible signs of wear

Period

Mid 20th century

Early 20th century

1950-1960

1930-1940

1920-1930

1940-1950

Late 20th century

1960-1970

1910-1920

1990-2000

1900-1910

Late 19th century

1970-1980

1980-1990

1850-1900

2000-2010

2010-2020

2020+

1450-1500

1500-1550

1750-1800

2nd half 20th century

Subject

City scene

Figures

Abstract figure

Style

Antique

Art Deco

Naive Art

Antique inspired

Art Deco inspired

Modern

Folk Art

Technique

Acrylic on canvas

Marker pen

Etching

Giclée

Acrylic on panel

Signature

Not signed

Hand signed

Signed

Edition

Unique

Limited and numbered edition

1st Edition

Colour

Brown

Blue

Green

Orange

Yellow

Beige

African Art

This object is no longer available, but there’s still lots to explore

Sculpture - Wood - Dogon - Mali

Popular in African Art

822 objects

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African Art

This object is no longer available, but there’s still lots to explore

Sculpture - Wood - Dogon - Mali

Popular in African Art

822 objects

Related collections