Unidentified
Two Superimposed Female Figures
n.d.
Category
Culture
Dogon Peoples
Place Made
Mali: Southern Cliff
Materials
Wood
Measurements
47 3/8 x 4 7/8 x 5 1/2 in (120.3325 x 12.3825 x 13.97 cm)
Credit Line
Bequest of Victor K. Kiam
Accession #
77.249
Description
This wooden sculpture depicts a female figure standing on top of another female figure. The head of the bottom figure has been replaced by a construct of slender vertical elements sandwiched between two circular disks. Superimposed figures appear as a common motif in many different Dogon sculptural styles, suggesting that they held great significance for artists and patrons across the Dogon region and for an extended period of time.
The meaning of this motif and the context for this scultpure's purpose is largely unknown.