Height: 50 cm; 19.6 inches. Provenance: Object collected in the cellar of a house in Brussels. This object was transmitted to us by the son of a collector who had travelled in Mali, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast. Detailed information regarding the provenance and the history of this piece, will be provided to the buyer (area and period of collection). Lot Essay and Expertise of the Gaunt Tribal Art Gallery, United Kingdom, ref SQ5705599 Dating: 1940s. A wooden figurine of a hermaphrodite with a conical head with a little knot on the top. The facial features consist in an aquiline nose, half-closed almond-shaped eyes, and an open mouth with fleshy lips presenting a protruding tongue. There are scarification marks on the sides of the face, and the chin is provided with a wide fan-shaped beard. The shoulders are slightly arched and the chest presents big breasts with a necklace in between, provided with a large hanging pendant. The arms are folded at the elbows and have armbands and bracelets. The body presents a big belly and is decorated with wavy lines carved horizontally and vertically from the navel. The figure is kneeling with the hands placed on the knees. A loincloth hangs between the open legs and the whole lays on the rounded base. Known under the name of Djennenke, these figurines present the androgynous qualities with which the Dogon believe every human is born. The Dogon believe that a human being enters the world with two souls of a different sex, or rather with two principles corresponding to two people within each other. For a man, the feminine soul houses the foreskin. For the woman, the masculine soul houses the clitoris. Circumcision and excision remove the opposite sex, enabling one to fully become a man or a woman. Shipment within 24 working hours. Track & trace included. With acknowledgement of receipt. Tags: mask, figurine, sculpture, figure, statuette, wood, art, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, USA, Dogon, contemporary, first, primitive, tribal, African, antiquity, artwork, gallery, Picasso, Giacometti, art gallery, African art, cubism.