Name: A hermaphrodite Dogon wearing a Mask
SKU: 612
Availability: InStock

A hermaphrodite Dogon wearing a Mask

€ 2,900.00

Embodying both genders, this 30 cm Dogon figure once served in rainmaking rites, its cubistic Walu mask bridging spirit and abstraction. The deep oxidized surface speaks of long ritual use and timeless balance. From the collections of Alain Bovis, Paris, and Gallery Oetinger, Lyon — a work of rare harmony and presence.

Dogon Hermaphrodite Figure Wearing a Cubistic Walu Mask

This remarkable Dogon sculpture depicts a hermaphrodite wearing a cubistic interpretation of the Walu mask, one of the emblematic forms of Dogon ritual art. Figures of this kind were used in ceremonies intended to confuse or challenge the Dogon deities, prompting them to send rain to restore balance and fertility to the land.

The merging of male and female attributes symbolizes completeness and cosmic unity — a key concept in Dogon thought — while the geometric abstraction of the Walu mask reveals an early aesthetic that would later influence modernist artists.

Material: Oxidized wood
Height: 30 cm (36 cm on stand)
Provenance:
– Alain Bovis Gallery, Paris
– Gallery Oetinger, Lyon
Estimated age: Late 18th to early 19th century