Granary door · Mali, Dogon · ID: 3036838

Name: Granary door
SKU: 3036838
Availability: Discontinued

not available anymore

Provenance

Sotheby Parke Bernet, New York, 11 October 1974, lot 6

Size

M: 81,5 cm x 46,5 cm

M: 32.1 inch x 18.3 inch

Description

wood, slightly encrusted brown patina, remains of kaolin, consisting of two wooden planks, joined by metal clamps, projecting pivots at the top and bottom that are set into depressions on the sill and lintel, the front carved with small figures in five rows, the lock complete with bolt, min. dam., cracks, traces of weathering, small missing parts, base;
granaries outnumber almost all other types of buildings in Dogon villages, demonstrating the importance of preserving crops produced with the hard labor required in such a rocky landscape. Every family has several granaries, one for each of the wives and the rest for the head of the family, in which are stored millet, sorghum, rice, corn, beans etc. Personal valuables and family altars are sometimes also stored in granaries.