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A Dogon maternity sculpture, Mali; signs of ritual use and age. Certificate of origin and provenance.

Dogon maternity sculptures are wooden figures carved by the Dogon people of Mali, who inhabit the rocky plateaus and escarpments of the Bandiagara region. These sculptures, typically depicting a seated or standing female figure holding a child, form part of a broader corpus of Dogon figurative sculpture used in religious, commemorative, and symbolic contexts. The maternity figure, while relatively rare compared to ancestor or nommo figures, plays a specific role in ritual life, often connected to fertility, lineage continuity, and the sacred role of women in Dogon cosmology.

Carved from dense hardwood and often encrusted with layers of sacrificial patina, Dogon maternity sculptures are characterized by their elongated proportions, angular features, and simplified anatomy. Her posture is upright, sometimes rigid, conveying solemnity and spiritual gravity. The child is often rendered schematically, reduced to a small projection or minimally detailed form, highlighting the mother as the central subject of veneration.

These sculptures are not portraits but idealized representations of the maternal principle, associated with fertility spirits or mythic ancestors. They may have been commissioned by individuals or lineage groups as offerings to promote fertility, ensure safe childbirth, or honor maternal ancestors. Some figures are kept in family or communal shrines, where they receive offerings such as millet porridge, beer, or sacrificial blood, contributing to the rich patina on their surfaces. Others may be used during agricultural rites or rites of passage that mark a child's transition into adulthood.

In Dogon religious thought, the concept of duality and generative pairing is central. The female figure with a child resonates with Dogon creation myths, where the primordial being Amma created the first human couple, the Nommo, from whom all life descended. The mother and child thus reflect not only biological reproduction but also the metaphysical reproduction of order, knowledge, and social structure.

Stylistically, maternity sculptures vary across Dogon regions and workshops. Some exhibit an extreme stylization and abstraction, with flat torsos, reduced facial features, and emphasized symmetry. Others are more rounded and detailed, with incised jewelry, scarification, and elaborate coiffures. These regional styles correspond to distinct clans and carving lineages, which maintain their own aesthetic preferences and ritual traditions.

Dogon maternity sculptures first entered Western collections in the early 20th century through French colonial expeditions and art dealers. Their abstraction and spiritual resonance made them influential in European modernist circles, particularly among artists such as Picasso and Giacometti, who were drawn to their expressive form and symbolic intensity. However, their original context as active agents in Dogon ritual life was often obscured in such settings.

While some examples in museum collections are authentic ritual objects, others may have been carved for the art market, particularly in the later 20th century. Careful attention to provenance, patina, and carving details is essential when assessing the ritual authenticity and cultural significance of individual works.

References
Griaule, Marcel. Masques Dogons. Institut d’Ethnologie, Paris, 1938.
Griaule, Marcel and Germaine Dieterlen. The Pale Fox. Institute for the Study of Human Issues, 1986.
Ezra, Kate. Art of the Dogon: Selections from the Lester Wunderman Collection. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1988.
Leloup, Hélène. Dogon Statuary. Yale University Press, 1994.
Laude, Jean. African Art of the Dogon: The Myths of the Cliff Dwellers. Viking Press, 1973.

Legno - Discrete condizioni

A Wood sculpture - Dogon - Mali  (Senza Prezzo di Riserva)

Arte tribale e africana

Prezzo di riserva

Nessun prezzo di riserva

Acquista subito

Data di chiusura

domenica

mercoledì

venerdì

27 maggio

sabato

giovedì

domani

26 maggio

30 maggio

28 maggio

Budget

Ubicazione

Francia

Belgio

Germania

Austria

Spagna

Paesi Bassi

Italia

Portogallo

Regno Unito

Croazia

Romania

Svizzera

Danimarca

Grecia

Hong Kong

Irlanda

Polonia

Svezia

Slovacchia

Formato

S (10–40 cm)

M (40–80 cm)

L (oltre 80 cm)

XS (meno di 10 cm)

Dimensioni

Altezza

Larghezza

Profondità

Oggetto

Arte e oggetti tribali

Maschere tribali

Sculture, statue, statuine e intagli tribali

Statuetta

Mask

Dipinto

Scultura

Armi e scudi tribali

Maschera da ballo

Abbigliamento e tessuti tribali

Figura feticcio

Libri, manoscritti e cataloghi tribali

Statua

Pugnale

Maschera tribale

Gioielli e ornamenti tribali

Libro

Statuetta di antenato

Stampa

Scudo

Giclée

Testa

Poggiacollo

Testa di statuetta

Maschere di antiche culture

Paese d’origine

Repubblica Democratica del Congo

Nigeria

Mali

Costa d’Avorio

Gabon

Africa

Camerun

Ghana

Congo

Burkina Faso

Benin

Togo

Angola

Tanzania

Etiopia

Liberia

Senegal

Ciad

Haiti

Madagascar

Repubblica Centrafricana

Materiale

Legno

Bronzo

Terracotta

Rame

Pelle

Ferro (ghisa/battuto)

Vetro

Carta

Ferro (battuto)

Ottone

Osso

Ferro

Pietra

Acciaio

Tessuto

Alluminio

Metallo

Ebano

Legno massiccio

Argilla

Cotone

Legno (Thuja)

Peli animali

Condizioni

Buone condizioni

Discrete condizioni

Eccellenti condizioni

In buone condizioni - usato, con piccoli segni dell’età e macchie.

In condizioni discrete - molto usato e con probabili piccoli pezzi mancanti.

Buone

In ottime condizioni - usato raramente e con lievi segni di usura e dell’età.

Molto buone

Come nuovo - mai usata

Eccellenti

Condizioni discrete

In ottime condizioni, vedi descrizione

In buone condizioni, vedi descrizione

Restauro necessario

In buone condizioni - usato, con piccoli segni dell’età.

Come nuovo

In cattivo stato - molto usato, con ampie crepe, danni o grandi pezzi mancanti.

In discrete condizioni, vedi descrizione

In ottime condizioni

Buone condizioni - usato con alcuni segni di usura

Molto buono +

Accessori

Nessun extra

In confezione di ricambio

Sovracoperta

Periodo

metà del XX secolo

Fine XX secolo

Inizio XX secolo

2000-2010

1950-1960

1970-1980

Fine XIX secolo

1940-1950

2020+

1960-1970

1990-2000

1980-1990

1850-1900

Inizio XIX secolo

1920-1930

1930-1940

1900-1910

1910-1920

1400-1450

2010-2020

inizi del XVIII secolo

1500-1550

1450-1500

metà del XIX secolo

Inizio XVII secolo

Soggetto

Ritratto

Cultura pop

Natura

Scena diurna

Antropologia

Mitologia

Scena estiva

Scena notturna

Paesaggio

Nudo

Arte tribale e africana

Questo oggetto non è più disponibile, ma c’è ancora tanto da scoprire

A Wood sculpture - Dogon - Mali (Senza Prezzo di Riserva)

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