Africa | Mali
Togu’na
Dogon
Mali
Architectural element (Support Post)
From Anakila Village, Plain region, Dogon
Carved wood
19th century
Height: 83 ½ in. (212 cm)
Ex collection Merton Simpson, New York (inv. #5795)
Ex private collection, Barcelona
Published (with images of the post in situ in Mali):
Togu Na, The African Dogon House of Men – House of Words, Tito & Sandro Spini, Milan, Ed. Rizzoli, 1976, pp. 112-113
Yale University GvR Archive 0000478
Published: Interiors, 2023
Toguna Post 212 cm / Galerie Flak
Price on request
In Dogon language, togu na means « shelter of Men ». As stated by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, « forked sculptural elements support the roof beams of togu na, open-sided shelters where Dogon men meet to rest, converse, and discuss issues of importance to the community. The low roofs, made of thick stacks of millet stalks, keep the interior dark and cool and force the men to sit, encouraging calm, peaceful discourse. »
This spectacular sculpture, over two meters high, depicts a founding ancestor and is decorated with symbols related to fertility and the perpetuation of the clan.
This spectacular sculpture, over two meters high, depicts a founding ancestor and is decorated with symbols related to fertility and the perpetuation of the clan.
Publication
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