Traditional Dogon door — Dogon, Mali — African tribal art — Ref. 172

Description

This old Dogon door comes from Dogon country, in southern Mali, more precisely from the Bandiagara plateau region, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Carved from several wooden planks assembled with crosspieces, it was intended to close a granary used for storing millet, thus protecting the harvests against animals and malevolent spirits. The lateral latch has a carved lock, a typical element of Dogon architecture.
Although sober in its iconography, the door shows lozenge-shaped geometric engravings on the lock and a vertical crosspiece, motifs linked to fecundity, agricultural cycles and protection. The absence of figures or mythological scenes indicates an older or everyday-use piece, probably rural.
It is carved from dense wood, with a patina of use, cracks, traces of wear and visible old repairs.

Technical details

Type of piece

Mobilier

Category

Traditional furniture

Ethnic group

Dogon

Country

Malii

Materials

wood, ferrure

Dimensions

H 127 × W 3 × D 79 cm

Weight

19 kg

Estimated dating

second half 20th c.

Laboratory test

Not tested

Reference

172