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Figure

Late 15th–early 17th century
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Responding to the natural curvature of the wood, the author of this utterly original work created a monumental figure striking for its suggestion of gently swaying bodily movement. Head, shoulders, and breasts are concentrated at one end of the torso, while the legs terminate in a post for anchoring the figure into the earth. At the time of its collection, in 1935, this work no longer played an active social role and was instead partially buried, serving as a post for hitching horses. At that time, the villagers of Yayé attributed it to a period in the distant past prior to the arrival of the Dogon.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Figure
  • Date: Late 15th–early 17th century
  • Geography: Mali, Yayé
  • Culture: Dogon peoples
  • Medium: Wood
  • Dimensions: H. 51 15/16 × W. 12 3/16 × D. 5 1/2 in. (132 × 31 × 14 cm)
  • Classification: Wood-Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Musée du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac, Paris
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing