230521 - Old African Dogon sculpture - Mali.
Mali: Rare and old African Dogon Sculpture.
Hand carved from a single piece of wood.
Height: 44 cm.
This Dogon sculpture dates from the mid of the 20th century and was purchased in my private collection in 2006, with a certificate of authenticity.
The 400,000 Dogon live 180 miles south of Timbuktu on the cliffs of Bandiagara, which dominate the plains for over 150 miles. They speak approximately 120 dialects, many of which are not mutually comprehensible. At first hunters, now on their small fields they cultivate millet, sorghum, wheat, and onion. The millet is stored in high quadrangular granaries around which they build their houses. Because of the difficult approach to these regions and the aridity of the climate, the Dogon have been isolated and hence were able to conserve their ancient religious habits and ways of making the necessary implements, their carvings.