Male Figure
Dogon
Possibly 18th century
Medium
Wood, pigment, and sacrificial material
Dimensions
99.7 × 15.6 × 16.6 cm (39 1/4 × 6 1/8 × 6 1/2 in.)
Classification
sculpture
Department
Arts of Africa
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
144353
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Made for a large altar honoring ancestors, this figure’s crusty surface resulted from repeated ritual applications of sacrificial materials including animal blood, millet porridge, plant juice, and oil, infusing it with a vital energy. Its braided hairstyle, thin beard, amulet-pendant, and ritual staff (on his left shoulder) suggest that this figure portrays a high-ranking man. The extremely dry environment of the cave where it was stored helped to preserve it.