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Female Vessel Bearer
Not on view
Sculptures attributed to a workshop identified with the village of Tintam are defined by powerful, rounded contours and a vivid red hue associated with ritual transformation. We can only speculate about the concerns underlying certain recurring Dogon representations. Several freestanding figures produced by the Tintam atelier feature a raised-arm gesture in which one hand clenches in a fist with thumb raised and the opposite hand opens flat. Each figure wears a labret, or lip ornament, tabbed necklace, and a panel of fabric that extends between the legs. The gender of the two figures with raised arms is ambiguous, given the emphasis on a beard and triangular pendant breasts.
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