Dogon Granary Shutter, Mali

Gaston de Havenon, New York, by 1966
Sydney and Lillian Lichter, Scarsdale, acquired from the above
Myron Kunin, Minneapolis, acquired from the above on October 13, 1998

Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C., The de Havenon Collection: African Art, May 30 - October 3, 1971
Hamline University Art Galleries, Saint Paul, Icons of Perfection: Figurative Sculpture from Africa, December 2, 2005 – February 11, 2006

Warren M. Robbins, African Art in American Collections, New York, 1966, p. 55, fig. 25
Warren M. Robbins, The de Havenon Collection, Washington, 1971, no. 12
Frank Herreman, Icons of Perfection: Figurative Sculpture from Africa, Saint Paul, 2006, p. 48, cat. 31

Very good condition for an object of this type and age. Hinge and lock mechanisms with wear. Wood is slightly warped with age. Door is in two pieces held together with triangular wood attachments, as shown in catalogue illustration. Minor marks, nicks, scratches, abrasions, small chips, and cracks consistent with age and use. Exceptionally fine glossy varied brown patina with encrustation.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This finely-carved shutter or door once adorned a Dogon granary, serving both to protect and sanctify the life-giving stores of food contained inside. According to Hélène Leloup (1994: 487), rows of figures seen on Dogon granary doors represent patrilineal ancestors.  The presence of male and female figures in the present example suggest the male-female duality which is central to Dogon origin myths; these primordial couples are the progenitors of humanity, the ideal compliments to one another, and the source of life.

LaGamma (2002: 28) notes: "In 1931 a team of French researchers led by Marcel Griaule arrived in the village of Sanga, in present-day Mali, to undertake a study of Dogon culture.  Griaule's investigations sought to expose the inner workings of Dogon thought and religious belief about the world and its origins.  In the process he became aware of a vast corpus of myths that described 'a complex cosmogony, an epic struggle between order and disorder, and the place of humanity within the universe' [Ezra 1988: 15-16].  According to the Dogon mythological system described by Griaule and other members of his team, the divine power of Amma created the first living being, called Nommo, who multiplied to become four pairs of twins.  One of these Nommo twins rebelled against the order set in place by Amma.  In response, Amma, seeking to purify the universe and restore order, sacrificed one of the other Nommos.  Thus Nommo's body was cut up and scattered throughout the universe, and from these parts Amma created eight ancestors of humanity: four males - Amma Serou, Lebou Serou, Binou Serou, Dyongou Serou - and their four female twins.  In the final phase of genesis, these eight ancestors, together with another Nommo and everything needed for human life, were placed in an ark and sent to Earth [ibid.: 20].  Griaule and his colleagues based their investigations on the premise that 'the everyday object may reveal in its form or decoration a concious reflection of this complex cosmogony' [Griaule 1965: xiv]."