A Dogon Figure, "bras levées" Lot n° 4

Figure with raised arms, "bras levées" Dogon, Mali Mit Sockel / with base Wood. H 36,5 cm. Provenance: - according to H. and M. Zimmer: Galerie Maria Wyss, Basel. (1960s). - Helmut (1931-2021) and Marianne Zimmer, Zurich. The Dogon people are settled in the area of the Hombori Mountains. The small communities living in scattered villages are the successors of the Tellem, whose still existing dwellings can be found high up in the inaccessible cliffs of the Bandiagara rocks, which were declared a World Heritage Site in 1989. The Dogon are best known in Western culture for their art. Their works derive from and relate to the fascinating mythology of the ethnic group. The unmistakably geometric, reduced to sparse formal language makes their cult and everyday objects exemplary examples of traditional African art. The Dogon worshipped altar figures, most of which were dedicated to ancestors - real and mythical. The figures were considered a link between the visible and the invisible world, by means of which the owner could contact the spiritual beings. The standing androgynous figure is also called "bras levées" in non-Francophone regions. The position and especially the posture of the arms is usually interpreted as a gesture of requesting rain, although recent research has considered other explanations. Further reading: Homberger, Lorenz (1995). The art of the Dogon. Zurich: Museum Rietberg. CHF 3 000 / 6 000 EUR 3 000 / 6 000