Togu na support post with female figure

19th–mid-20th century

Not on view

Within every quarter of a Dogon village is at least one togu na, or men’s rest house. Located near the central plaza, they are the first structures built in a village when it is founded. Its low ceiling is designed so that the men who congregate within cannot stand upright, but are obliged to harmoniously sit in communal repose or engage in discussions of issues important to the community. The rectangular, open-sided shelter is crowned by a thick roof of millet thatch supported around its perimeter by stone or wood pillars, which may be carved with exterior-facing imagery.

Most of the togu na posts that feature figural imagery are from villages on the Seno Plain, a sandy expanse extending from the Bandiagara’s cliffs to the Malian border with Burkina Faso. The majority of these pillars depict voluptuous female figures with pronounced conical breasts, like this example, but others feature animals, masks, and phallic imagery.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

References

Title: Togu na support post with female figure
Artist: Mande numu (blacksmith)
Date: 19th–mid-20th century
Geography: Mali, Seno Plain region
Culture: Dogon peoples
Medium: Wood
Dimensions: H. 86 1/4 × W. 23 1/2 × D. 8 1/2 in. (219.1 × 59.7 × 21.6 cm)
Classification: Wood
Credit Line: The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Gift of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1964
Object Number: 1978.412.337
Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

More Artwork

By Mande numu (blacksmith)

In the same medium

From the same time and place

Double plank figure with raised arms, Tellem or Dogon blacksmith, Wood, applied organic materials, Dogon or Tellem peoples (?) — Double plank figure with raised arms
Tellem or Dogon blacksmith
16th–19th century

Togu na support post with male and female figures, Mande numu (blacksmith), Wood, metal, Dogon peoples — Togu na support post with male and female figures
Mande numu (blacksmith)
19th–mid-20th century

Seated binukedine ( priest), Dogon blacksmith, Wood, iron, Dogon peoples — Seated binukedine ( priest)
Dogon blacksmith
18th–19th century

Headdress (Kapurei), Wood, paint, Sulka people — Headdress (Kapurei)
Sulka people
late 19th–early 20th century

Funey soo window frame, Mande numu (blacksmith), Wood, iron alloy, pigment, Mande peoples — Funey soo window frame
Mande numu (blacksmith)
19th–early 20th century

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.