Ancestor figure - Dogon - Mali

Rare to find very old and worn ancestor figure from the Dogon-people of Mali. These figures were used on family altars to consult with the ancestors in times of need. Decades of weathering have polished the original figure to what it is now. Very dry and hard wood. Some subtle details on this figure of a woman are still visible; the "tresses" in the hair and the holding of a bowl in front of the belly. Collected in the village of Irilli in the Pays Dogon in the late 1990,s and coming from a private Dutch collection. Height.; 34 cm.