Published 19th C. Dogon Togu Na Support Post, Mali (92"H)

African, Dogon. West Africa, Mali, Bandiagara Escarpment, Dogon peoples, ca. mid to late 19th century CE. Published: Togu Na: The African Dogon — "House of Men, House of Words." New York: Rizzoli, 1977, page 114. A support post from a togu na, carved from a single forked timber rising to a Y-form crown. The natural bifurcation of the tree is retained and structural: the two arms supported the millet-stalk roof, while the shaft below carries carved decoration. The composition depicts a standing female figure reduced to essential forms. A small head sits high on the shaft, with a coiffure rendered in parallel striations and the face reduced to a vertical ridge of nose flanked by minimal features. Below, a pair of conical breasts projects in relief, the dominant carved element on the post. A band of vertical grooving marks the waist, and incised curves below suggest the legs. A continuous incised chevron pattern runs the length of both arms, cut with irregular spacing across the span. The surface is weathered to a silver-grey tone, with raised grain and rounded edges, consistent with long-term outdoor exposure. The togu na is the men's assembly shelter and the political heart of a Dogon village — the "house of words," where elders debate community affairs. Its roof is built deliberately low so that no man can rise to his feet in anger. The supporting posts are carved with female figures widely understood to reference ancestral presence, and their placement means the deliberations of the men are conducted in the company of the ancestors. Architectural sculpture of this scale rarely leaves Mali, and published examples are scarcer still. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. Item # 203969

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