Female Figure Standing with Arms Raised
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Object Label
The religious beliefs of the Dogon focus primarily on the spirits of ancestors, who are the intermediaries between the living and the forces of the universe. The deceased ancestors of one’s own clan or lineage are remembered and petitioned on altars.
This figure’s posture of up-stretched arms, with the left hand open and the fingers of the right hand closed, is a common Dogon motif that is often interpreted as a prayer for rain. Here it seems more likely to represent supplication to the ancestors.
Caption
Dogon. Female Figure Standing with Arms Raised, 16th to 19th century. Wood, without separate base: 47 3/4 x 7 1/4 x 8 11/16 in. (121.3 x 18.4 x 22 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Collection of Beatrice Riese, 2011.4.5. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2011.4.5_PS2.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Female Figure Standing with Arms Raised
Date
16th to 19th century
Geography
Place made: vicinity of Tintam, Mopti Region, Mali
Medium
Wood
Classification
Dimensions
without separate base: 47 3/4 x 7 1/4 x 8 11/16 in. (121.3 x 18.4 x 22 cm)
Credit Line
Collection of Beatrice Riese
Accession Number
2011.4.5
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
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Frequent Art Questions
Who are the Dogon?
The Dogon are a West African people living primarily in Mali. The Dogon are perhaps best known for their complex cosmology and retaining their traditional spirituality in a region that was largely converted to Islam.
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