Dogon Male Seated Power Figure Mali

Beautifully carved Dogon Seated Power Figure. With the angular jaw, seated pose, and elongated arms this piece represents characteristics typical to the Dogon community and the art used to connect with nature, spirit, and human.

Dogon art is not confined to a singular, fixed style, as discussions often portray it. Its age spans from as early as the 12th century to the present, encompassing various sub-styles within the identifiable core of Dogon art. The Dogon people engage in stylistic exchanges with neighboring groups, resulting in intriguing hybridism within these sub-styles. This sculpture serves as an example of how neighboring influences can impact the well-defined core of Dogon sculpture. To the west of the Dogon heartland, interactions with the Bamana people of Mali contribute to certain sculptural attributes, influenced by the Mande-speaking Bamana. These attributes include a squared body, keel-shaped head, and 'U'-shaped ears, resembling the work of a Bamana blacksmith. If genuinely a Dogon figure, it may represent an ancestor linked to an individual, family, village, or region. As an ancestor figure, it symbolizes either a familial ancestor or one of the original eight Nommo, who descended to earth, played a role in creation, and continue to be invested in the affairs of humanity.

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