Standing female figure ·  Mali, Dogon · ID: 3032388

Description

wood, reddish brown patina, encrusted with clay, rising from a round base, extremely long arms, stylized facial features and crested coiffure, slightly dam., minor missing parts, cracks, paint rubbed off, on metal plate;
these figures belong to female societies and were used for the education of young girls. They were displayed on funerals and presumably on certain fertility and rain-making rituals as well. According to H. Leloup they were called “so-ma-so” (“listen to me”), a sentence effective for education and for prayers for fertility as well.

Comparing literature

Vogel, Susan, For spirits and kings, African Art from the Paul and Ruth Tishman Collection, New York 1981, p. 16