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Priest with raised arms

14th–17th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 341
The Dogon live in the elevated rocky heights of Mali's Bandiagara Escarpment. They rely on agriculture and manage to wrest subsistence crops from poor soil in an area that receives little rain. This monumental figure is one of the largest Dogon sculptures known. The region's dry climate has preserved Dogon works far longer than is usual for African wood sculpture, and radiocarbon testing of this work suggests that it may date as far back as the fifteenth century.

Dogon sculpture is primarily concerned with the spirits responsible for the fertility of both land and people. These include a family's real and mythical ancestors, the souls of women who died in childbirth, and water spirits. While the exact functions and meanings of individual works often remain obscure, scholars agree that Dogon sculptures were created for shrines.

The most distinctive subject rendered by Dogon sculptures is that of a single figure standing with raised arms. This posture has usually been interpreted as a gesture of prayer—an effort to link earth and heavens—and it has been suggested that it may represent an appeal for rain. This masterpiece of Dogon figurative art depicts a man with a well-modeled body in a naturalistic stance. The artist has carefully rendered the figure's musculature, anatomical detail, and body ornament. His stylized beard identifies him as an elder and an individual whose age and experience entitle him to participate in the most important religious, political, and social affairs of Dogon society. The figure wears wristlets, armlets, and anklets that indicate his status, as well as a belt and neck pendants resembling leather talismans that also suggest his spiritual importance.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Priest with raised arms
  • Artist: Dogon blacksmith
  • Date: 14th–17th century
  • Geography: Mali, Bandiagara Escarpment, Tintam village(?)
  • Culture: Dogon
  • Medium: Wood, applied organic materials
  • Dimensions: H. 82 7/8 x W. 14 1/4 x D. 8 3/8 in. (210.5 x 36.2 x 21.3 cm)
  • Classification: Wood-Sculpture
  • Credit Line: The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Gift of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1969
  • Object Number: 1978.412.322
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

More Artwork

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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
Seated binukedine ( priest), Dogon blacksmith, Wood, iron, Dogon peoples
Seated binukedine ( priest)
Dogon blacksmith
18th–19th century
Pair of bala players, Dogon blacksmith, Wood, metal, applied organic materials, Dogon
Pair of bala players
Dogon blacksmith
18th–early 19th century
Aduno Koro (Ark of the World) vessel with ancestral figures, Dogon blacksmith, Wood, Dogon peoples
Aduno Koro (Ark of the World) vessel with ancestral figures
Dogon blacksmith
16th–19th century
Imina Na (Great Mask), Dogon blacksmith, Wood, pigment, Dogon peoples
Imina Na (Great Mask)
Dogon blacksmith
18th–19th century

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