Dogon peoples, Mali
Late 19th to early 20th century
Wood
73.5 x 13 x 16.3 cm (28 15/16 x 5 1/8 x 6 7/16 in.)
2005-6-38, gift of Walt Disney World Co., a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company (cat. no. 22)
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One of a distinctive stylistic group of about a dozen sculptures, this figure gives an impression of size and presence. The pose, with arms separated from her sides and hands in front of pelvis, is a symbol of pregnancy, as is the hairstyle. The long lip plug would have been a millet stalk.
Although there is no collection data for this carving, a nearly identical figure has been identified as a display piece brought out for a man's funeral. Another was associated with a shrine to women who died in childbirth and was thought to help restore fertility to supplicants. The frequent cleaning and oiling from these uses give these figures a very different surface from those Dogon objects that receive sacrificial libations.
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