Standing male figure with raised arms
Description
wood, reddish brown and black patina, both arms stretched straight upwards with upward-facing palms, oddly the arms emerge from a place where normally the ears are situated and are not connected with the torso at all, the face with bulgy eyes and notched mouth is coated by a thick layer of sacrificial patina, a slightly sticky blackish sacrificial patina can be found on the remaining body as well, slightly dam., minor missing parts (breast to the front, right hand, both feet), fine cracks, base;
the gesture of raised arms is said to indicate the communication between the earth and heaven, specifically a prayer for rain, an essential commodity in the arid environment in which the Dogon people live. Sacrifices to elicit rain are made on altars called “andugo”, which are dedicated to the spiritual being “nommo”, who is present in all water, including rain. After making a sacrifice over the altar and building a fire whose thick smoke is said to attract dark rain clouds, the officient holds an iron hook, called “gobo”, in his outstretched arm and brings it back over his head, making a hooking gesture to pull the rain-bearing clouds closer.