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Western Africa, Mali, Dogon peoples, ca. late 19th century CE. An enigmatic, hand-carved wooden figure of a seated woman with pronounced hips and wide-set legs. Her slender arms droop from rounded shoulders with a pair of conical breasts in-between, with a tubular torso comprising her overall structure and leading upwards to a stylized head. The serene, minimalist visage depicts drilled eyes, cupped ears with perforated lobes, a broad nose, thin parted lips, and a domed brow capped with a cresting coiffure. The Dogon are well-known for their masks and wooden figurative art. A figure like this one may represent an ancestor, whose worship is a major component of Dogon religion. Custom wooden display stand included. Size: 4″ W x 13″ H (10.2 cm x 33 cm); 16″ H (40.6 cm) on included custom stand.
Condition: Area of repair to right side of head. Losses to one hand and majority of both legs. Surface wear commensurate with age, fading to carved details, with several stable hairline pressure fissures, otherwise very good. Light earthen deposits as well as fabulous dark-brown patina throughout.
Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-Zemanek Munster collection, Wurzburg, Germany
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