Dogon Statuette, Mali

Dogon Figure (Bombou-Toro)
Mali, 19th century or earlier
Wood with encrusted patina
H. 27 cm
Provenance: Arthur de Monbrison Collection

A rare statuette depicting a hermaphroditic figure, shown both standing and crouching depending on whether one interprets the horizontal ridge beneath the abdomen as a waistline or as folded legs. The sharply angled, oblique lines forming the arms crossed over the belly give the pose a striking sense of dynamism.

The figure features a head with a hatched crest, a small beard on the chin, a feminine chest, and vertical scarifications on the face. Its superb, encrusted patina bears witness to significant age and long ritual use.

The piece may represent the primordial Dogon ancestor Nommo, born of the union between the creator god Amma and the female Earth. Nommo figures were carved by blacksmiths and placed on family altars. The presence of both male and female attributes embodies this primordial union.