Standing female figure · Mali, Dogon · ID: 3034349
Zemanek-Münster Würzburg, 10. September 1994, lot 37
Udo Petry, Hohnhorst, Germany
Description
wood, middle brown patina, carrying a bowl on the head, notched ornaments backside, dam., missing parts (right foot tip, bowl), cracks, wooden socle;
the bulging abdomen and the protective gesture of the hands refer to the depiction of a pregnant woman. According to G. Dieterlen figures with such a posture were used on altars intended for rituals dedicated to the souls of women who have died during pregnancy or childbirth. Among the Dogon, such a woman is never buried in the cemetery of her lineage, nor is a funerary pot ever placed in the family sanctuary for her. Her soul is banished and left to wander. However, a cult is established for her by a powerful healer, who is responsible for the altar mentioned above.
Comparing literature
Roy, Christopher D., Die Dogon von Mali und Ober-Volta, München 1983, p. 14 f.