Male ancestor figure "kpin sebla" · Burkina Faso, Dagari · ID: 3052233
German Private Collection, Gaggenau
Description
wood, encrusted sacrificial patina, base
It was not until the 1990s that these “phallic” Dagari sculptures became known to wider circles.
The Dagari are relatives of the Lobi, who live in the southwest of Burkina Faso and the northwest of Ghana.
Each of these figures represents a deceased family member. They are placed on family altars and at shrines and serve the ancestor cult. They are sacrificed with millet beer, millet porridge or the blood of sacrificial animals.
The object Male ancestor figure “kpin sebla” with the object ID 3052233 was last part of the auction Auction 105 at November 15, 2025 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 250.
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Comparing literature
Bognolo, Daniela, Lobi, Milan 2007, p. 57, Fig. 19