214 - Important sculpture of a primordial Dogon couple, Mali.

Important sculpture of a primordial Dogon couple, Mali. A monumental composition depicting a couple seated side by side on a shared seat supported by several small anthropomorphic figures. The two figures, joined at the shoulders, have slender silhouettes, tall, finely striated headdresses, and angular faces. A rich decoration of incised geometric scarifications adorns the bodies, limbs, and the reverse side of the sculpture. The work fits within the iconography of Dogon primordial couples, associating the complementarity of the masculine and feminine with lineage. The seat featuring the carrying figures also evokes the traditions of ceremonial seats associated with spiritual authority, notably that of the Hogon. Wood with a dark, lustrous reddish-brown patina. Height: 121 cm