Standing female figure · Mali, Dogon · ID: 3052625
Olivier Castellano, Paris, France
Description
wood, heavily encrusted patina, base
Dogon figurative sculpture was created for shrines. The figures were placed on personal altars, ancestral altars, in “binu” sanctuaries, on altars dedicated to “Nommo” and on “yaupilu” shrines, which are dedicated to the souls of women who died in pregancy or childbirth.
The figures serve as intermediaries between people and a variety of spirit beings, deities and ancestors (“vageu”). They are the locus of prayer and are coated and doused with sacrificial materials. These are vehicles for “nyama”, the vital force that determines a person’s mental and physical well-being.
The object Standing female figure with the object ID 3052625 was part of the auction Auction 105 on November 15, 2025, lot number 236 at that time and is currently available for EUR 2,500 in Open sale.
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