A DOGON GRANERY DOOR

The Dogon people of Mali maintain an agricultural way of life. They cultivate pearl millet, sorghum, rice, onions, tobacco, peanuts, and other crops. Grains are stored in locked granaries, but these structures represent far more than just a storage facility. Usually topped by a mud roof or cap of millet straw, Dogon granaries are symmetrically shaped, usually with four sides, and often taller than surrounding structures. Access to the interior is gained through square, wooden doors like this one, which are often decorated with high-relief carvings reflecting themes from Dogon history and mythology. Rows of stylized human figures representing ancestral beings were hand-carved onto this door, giving it enormous power and emphasizing the owner’s lineage and status in the community. Granary door designs vary, but typically the higher one’s status in Dogon society, the more elaborate the design, as seen in this example.
Dogon people, Mali, Africa
Provenance: Ernst Heinrich, Stuttgart

Price: upon request