Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century

Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century

$11,000.00
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Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
  • Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century
Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century

Large 52" Dogon Mother and Child Sculpture – Mali, West Africa – 20th Century

$11,000.00

A striking and monumental Dogon Mother and Child sculpture from Mali, carved in hardwood and standing an impressive 52 inches tall.

Large examples of this quality and scale are increasingly difficult to find. The sculpture embodies the timeless elegance of Dogon carving through its elongated proportions, quiet dignity, and powerful architectural presence. The female figure stands with a graceful elongated neck and torso, wearing a carved shell-form necklace and traditional coiffure while gently supporting a child at her left side — an enduring symbol of fertility, ancestry, protection, and the continuation of family lineage within Dogon culture.

The beautifully aged surface displays decades of natural oxidation, dry patina, areas of encrustation, and honest handling wear acquired through age and use. The result is a sculpture with tremendous visual depth and authenticity that simply cannot be recreated.

Unlike many decorative carvings produced for the tourist market, this example possesses the refined proportions, restrained carving, and sculptural sophistication associated with traditional Dogon art.

Artwork Details

Culture: Dogon
Origin: Mali, West Africa
Date: Likely 20th Century
Material: Hand-carved hardwood
Subject: Standing Mother and Child
Height: 52 inches
Weight: Approximately 23.8 pounds

Provenance

Former European collection by 1980. From the family collection of a respected diplomat and ambassador whose collection was assembled during extensive travel throughout Africa between the 1960s and 1990s while providing charitable medical care across the continent. This documented provenance significantly enhances the sculpture’s historical appeal.

Condition

Displays an excellent aged surface with expected wear consistent with age and traditional use: natural shrinkage cracks, weathered dry patina, areas of pigment loss, old insect activity, scattered chips and abrasions, and minor losses to projecting elements. These characteristics are typical of authentic traditional African sculpture and contribute to the work’s overall character and historical integrity.

Please review all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the description.

About Dogon Sculpture

The Dogon people of Mali are internationally celebrated for producing some of the most iconic sculptural traditions in African art. Their figures are admired for their elongated proportions, spiritual symbolism, and remarkable balance between abstraction and naturalism. Mother-and-child figures hold particular significance, symbolizing fertility, protection, continuity of lineage, and the sacred role of women within Dogon cosmology.

Works from the Dogon tradition are represented in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, and Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Shipping

Due to its monumental size, this sculpture will be professionally packed and shipped with full insurance. Local pickup is welcomed. Freight shipping is available for domestic and international buyers.

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