Dogon
Mali
Northern Africa and the Sahel
Miniature Male Figure
INV-1858
Dogon
Mali
Northern Africa and the Sahel19th/mid–20th century
Miniature Male Figure
Dogon Mali Northern Africa and the Sahel →dogonArts of Africaafrican ArtNorthern Africa and the Sahelstatuettearts of Africa
Date
19th/mid–20th century
Medium
Wood
Dimensions
H.: 8.9 cm (3 1/2 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Gift of Richard Faletti, the Faletti Family Collection
This figure encapsulates the hallmarks of Dogon abstraction in precise miniature. He stands with his knees flexed and his elongated forearms extended to cover his face. The pose may be a reference to mourning or to rituals for ancestors, as Dogon figures with this gesture are often placed on ancestral altars.
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