Dogon Ancestral Couple with Arms Raised

Two figures. Four arms, all raised. No explanation offered.

Dogon people, Mali. Carved wood, over two feet tall. A pair of ancestors stand side by side, their arms lifted high above their heads in tall open loops. Beneath them, two seated animal forms, the whole group grown out of a single weathered base. The wood is cracked, gray and brown, and bears the marks of long exposure.

Dogon carving often shows arms raised to the sky, a gesture that appears across their art. The meaning is theirs to give.

A pair for the hallway. Greet your visitors with a salute.