Torso of a female figure ·  Mali, Dogon, Nduleri style · ID: 3035559

Description

wood, dark brown, partly spotty and oily patina, elaborate coiffure consisting of multiple rows of plaites, carved with a necklace, strong signs of usage, dam., missing parts (legs, left arm, right lower arm, breast, coiffure), socle;
probably this figure belongs to female societies and was used for the education of young girls. It was displayed on funerals and presumably on certain fertility and rain-making rituals as well. According to H. Leloup it was called “so-ma-so” (“listen to me”), a sentence effective for education and for prayers for fertility as well.

The object Torso of a female figure with the object ID 3035559 was last part of the auction 74th tribal art auction at September 7, 2013 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 124.

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Comparing literature

Leloup, Hélène, Dogon, Paris 2011, p. 352, ill.12