Mask Representing an Ancestor or Spirit

Origin: Dogon Tribe, Mali
Composition: wood

This unusual Dogon mask, with slightly open “slit-like” eyes, a single crest atop, and a bulbous, rounded neck plate, is has a very unusual and interesting subtle energy. It conveys an introverted spirit but has complexity as a result of its length and the many compositional features which the carver chose for the piece. Purchased in 2004 in Mali.

Dogon carvers use masks for a variety of rituals, including ancestor worship, forming spiritual connections with otherworldly and bush spirits, and for male initiation and funeral ceremonies. This mask could be employed in any number of such rituals or ceremonies, but likely has a teaching role which implies a connection to Dogon ancestors. The extended “pipe/beard” artistic feature which draws up to the mouth can be seen in a number of Dogon statues, but is uncommon in masks.

The 250,000 Dogon people live on a large plateau, with most of the villages situated on cliffs to the north and the east. According to Dogon oral tradition, the tribe settled in this area between the 14th and the 15th centuries, after escaping from the Mande kingdom. Legend has it that a snake led them to the cliff at the southern end of the plateau, where they overwhelmed and usurped the local Tellem and Niongom populations. The Dogon livelihood is base on agriculture concentrated in fields at the edge of the cliff, where water is scarce, but enough for occasional irrigation. Dogon social and religious organizations are closely interlinked and out of these arose four principal cults which accounts for the richness and diversity of Dogon culture (Ref: Bacquart, from Tribal Arts of Africa).