Large Dogon Seated Couple
This huge sculpture is one of the most impressive of the VMAD collection. Like most African wood sculpture this work is carved from a single block. The depiction of a seated man and women is a common theme in Dogon carving and is frequently described as being a depiction of the mythical progenitors of their people.
While the couple is beautiful and interesting from the front, the work is fully three-dimensional. The sides and back reveal a child clinging to the mother’s back, while the man has a stylized quiver of arrows. These symbols further reinforce the traditional gender roles of nurturing and providing. In addition, the stool upon which they sit is supported by smaller figures. The skill required to hollow out the negative space using only adzes and knives is truly impressive.
A crusty black patina has built up after many years of libation’s being applied to the surface. This patina indicated that this work had spent years inside a village ancestral shrine. Their purpose was to insure the well-being of the community.
The male has a beard signifying his maturity while the woman has a labret, or lip ornament. Her exaggerated breasts remind the Dogon of the nurturing role of each generation to the next (nudity in African art does not demote sexuality). The intimacy and closeness of the family is demonstrated by the man’s arm draped around the woman’s shoulders (an old crack has split the arm decades ago). The man and woman are depicted as the same height and prominence, reflecting the Dogon belief in balance and harmony in both marriage and village life.
