Stool with Figures Representing Ancestors or Deities

Origin: Dogon Tribe, Mali
Composition: wood

An interpretation of Dogon cosmology suggests that the universe is composed of two discs--the earth and sky. The supreme god, Amma, sent to earth four mythological beings (Nommo) to serve as ancestors to the Dogon people. Because these beings were lonely, and so that they might procreate, Amma bestowed a female twin on each of the four males, thus creating eight ancestors for the Dogon. The figures connecting the two discs here represent the eight original Nommo, who mediate between the realms of the earth and sky (ref: Phillips: Africa, The Art of A Continent).

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 based 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. (Passage from Tribal Arts of Africa.)