Dogon, n'duleri - Lot 49

Dogon, n'duleri Mali Maternity Wood with crusty patina Height: 42 cm Provenance : - Emil Storrer, Zürich, acquired circa 1950 - Josef Mueller Collection, Solothurn - Jean-Paul and Monique Barbier Mueller Collection, Geneva (inv. 1004 - 23) - Collection of Dr Antoine Saris, Paris - Piasa, Paris, June 7, 1999, no. 39 - Private collection, South of France, acquired at this sale Publication: Tribal Art magazine, special issue no. 7, 2017, Musée Barbier-Mueller, 40 ans de rayonnement, page 18 Fleeing Islamization, the Dogons settled in Mali, in the Falaise de Bandiagara, the Shanga plateau and the neighboring plain, as early as the 14th century. Here they developed one of West Africa's most fascinating cultures, and an art form celebrated in museums the world over. This maternity, a rare example of the N'duleri style, is shown here kneeling as a sign of the respect due to the deceased during funeral ceremonies. Her profile is particularly elegant, and her posture balanced and dynamic: from the power of her legs to the roundness of her head. The whole piece is covered with a thick, crusty patina, and although a few ritual removals can be observed here (notably the child's head, which is missing), it retains the strength expected of the great Dogon styles, between stylization of the face and architectural vigor of the body. It has been part of the collections of Josef Mueller and Monique and Jean-Paul Barbier-Mueller.