Altar figure – Wood – Dogon – Mali

Old wooden altar figure from the DOGON tribe, Mali. Good condition with beautiful aged patina.
Dogon figures are predominantly associated with the ancestor cult. They are carved either for personal or family use or, if they commemorate the foundation of a community, are worshiped by the village.

While the purpose for which it was created is not entirely clear, the rich patina of this Dogon figural group suggests a ritual function involving repeated applications of offerings and libations. Composed of a set of eight female figures arrayed around a central core and crowned by a top-like form, this work may have once adorned a shrine or altar created for communication with the ancestors of a Dogon lineage group or other supernatural powers.

Provenance: former private collection from the Netherlands.