What does the Dogon tribe mask represent?
The highly revered Dogon masks are worn to mark occasions throughout the year. The masks, according to the Dogon serve as a connection between heaven, which is the afterlife and earth. One of the most popular dance rituals is the “dama”.
What is unique about Dogon sculptures?
The most distinctive subject rendered by Dogon sculptures is that of a single figure standing with raised arms. This posture has usually been interpreted as a gesture of prayer—an effort to link earth and heavens—and it has been suggested that it may represent an appeal for rain.
What do the figures in the Dogon couple statue represent?
This sculpture created by the Dogon peoples of Mali, in West Africa, is not a portrait of specific individuals. Rather, it represents that culture’s concept of an ideal social unit. The male figure has a quiver on his back, showing his identity as protector and provider, while the female figure carries a tiny baby.
What is Dogon sculpture?
The Dogon are best known for their extensive carving of masks and wooden figurative art. The primary colors used by the Dogon are usually red, black, and white, and popular patterns include spirals and checkerboard motifs, both of which can be traced to their origin stories.
Where are Dogon masks from?
The immense beauty of the Fulani woman is widely known through out West Africa but is the subject of mockery behind this mask. It is used by male Dogon masqueraders during funerary activities.
What are Dogon masks made out of?
Following a death, Dogon peoples bury the dead immediately. They dance emina, masks carved from wood and woven from hibiscus fiber, as part of a sequence of rites that are conducted for men long after they are buried.
What religion is the Dogon tribe?
While some villages have adopted Islam or Christianity, a large percentage of Dogon are animists who believe in the importance of a synergy between the spiritual world of gods and ancestors, and the living world of plants, people, and animals.
Why has much of Africa’s artwork been lost to history?
An untold wealth of art objects have been destroyed over time because the raw materials used for their creation are disposable. Historically, colonial powers were not interested in indigenous art in the way they should have and, as a consequence, African art history was not documented or preserved.
What is a primordial couple?
Primordial Couples In Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions, Adam and Eve are the primordial couple, often characterized in anguish as they are expelled from Paradise. In other cultures the primordial couple is presented as two equal, exalted partners.
Why are the Dogon famous?
The Dogon are best known for their religious traditions, their mask dances, wooden sculpture, and their architecture.
Where is the Dogon tribe located in Africa?
Mali
The Dogon inhabit the Bandiagara escarpment in Mali.