Female dege dal nda (sculpture of the terrace)

Refined, geometrically rendered figures known as dege dal nda served as focal points for prayer and remembrance among the Dogon. Such sculptures might be maintained on a binu (altar) within a family home, where they received offerings of grain and other libations, a treatment evident in this example’s uneven, pebbled surface. They could also be brought out from the home and displayed on rooftop terraces during the funeral rites of prominent male members of the community. This classic example depicts an elongated female figure with pronounced breasts and hands framing her lower abdomen. Those visual references underscore the interconnection of fertility and devotional practices directed to individuals who had transitioned from the living realm into that of the ancestors.