Third Quarter of the XX Century.
Description:
On this archaically styled barn door, an authentic concentration of Dogon cosmology, are depicted the seven lineages of the lineage’s founding ancestors. There are also a series of mythological animals such as the gecko, the snake and the bird.
The wood from which the door was made is very heavy and durable so that it can fulfil its function, the patina of use is evident on the entire surface, even on the edges and hinges. As the original lock had been lost, a rudimentary metal handle had been inserted into the wood to make it easier to close the door even in more recent times.
CODE: ANMOAL0257810
Dimensions: 196 x 73 x 4 cm
Historical Stylistic Analysis:
the Dogon of Mali, settled along the Bandiagara Crag, are one of the ethnic groups with the richest and most complex cosmology in all of sub-Saharan Africa. In the absence of writing, their knowledge is transmitted orally and through sculpture. An example of this are the barn doors and doors that not only serve the function of protecting the harvest from rodents, but also plastically represent creation myths and the community’s founding values. Smaller barn doors are used for family barns while larger ones, such as the door depicted here, are used for community barns that provide a food supply for all in the event of famine or other events that put one or more families in crisis.
Bibliography:
“Dogon”, Musée Dapper, Parigi, 1994.
“Les Dogons du Mali”, Gérard Beaudoin, Ed. Armand Colin, Parigi, 1984.
“Dio d’acqua”, Marcel Griaule, Ed. Bollati Boringheri, Torino, 2002.
“Il mondo della parola”, Geneviève Calame-Griaulle, Ed. Bollati Boringheri, Torino, 2004.
“Dogon”, Hélène Leloup, Ed. Somogy, Parigi, 2010.
- Community Barn Door in Wood, Dogon Art (Mali)
Antiques, Art and Design
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