Description:

Western Africa, Mali, Dogon people, ca. 19th century CE. A hand-carved wooden door made of two vertical panels held together by large iron rivets and decorated with two horizontal rows of human figures in tall, conical helmets. A rectangular sliding lock is on one side of the door, while two pegs rise from the other side in order to slot into a doorframe. The door would have closed off the entrance to a granary, and decorated examples are common throughout West Africa. The symbols carved on the door are protective, some meant to represent the ancestors in highly abstract form. The raised motifs are designed to catch sunlight and create interesting patterns of shadow. Decorated doors proclaim the importance and wealth of their owners. Size: 17.55" W x 29.55" H (44.6 cm x 75.1 cm)

See a very similar example at the Metropolitan Museum of Art: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/310761

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection

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#134911

  • Condition: Surface wear commensurate with age, including some small losses, and one larger loss near the top right (facing). The carved figures are not impacted. The lock still have nice movement. Lightly encrusted deposits on the surface.

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September 13, 2018 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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