Zemanek-Münster

Very early statue ·  Mali, Dogon - Tellem · ID: 3045650

sold EUR 8,000
Provenance
Alexandro (Sandro) Volta, Milan, Italy (presumably)
Carlo Monzino, Castagnola, Italy (1970s)
Lance Entwistle, London, Great Britain (2010)
Alfred W. Angst, Aeugstertal-Zurich, Switzerland
Size
H: 45,5 cm
H: 17.9 inch

Description

wood, thick encrusted sacrificial patina (sacrificial blood and millet pulp), base

This powerful figure is an iconic image of the Tellem peoples, who settled in the Bandiagara Cliffs in Mali long before the Dogon arrived.

The gesture with the raised arms had been 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 Tellem people lived. 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.


The object Very early statue with the object ID 3045650 was last part of the auction 92nd Tribal Art Auction at June 29, 2019 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 49 achieved a sales price of EUR 8,000.

Here you will find more objects and interesting facts about African art.


Expertise

Entwistle, London, 14 June 2010


Comparing literature

Ezra, Kate, Art of the Dogon, New York 1988, p. 56


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