A Life in Ruins: Douglas Dawson, 35 Years of Art and Antiques 
13 July 2017
, Toguna Post - Image 1 of 2
, Toguna Post - Image 2 of 2
A Life in Ruins: Douglas Dawson, 35 Years of Art and Antiques 
, Toguna Post - Image 1 of 2
, Toguna Post - Image 2 of 2
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Toguna Post

Dogon Culture, Mali, Early 19th Century
carved wood 59 h × 23½ w × 6 d in (150 × 60 × 15 cm)
estimate: $5,000–7,000
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Includes custom wall bracket.
literature: Tito and Sandro Spini, Togu na: The African Dogon, House of Men, House of Words, 1977, unpaginated illustrates related form

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The Dogon people of Mali, West Africa, have been much studied for their complex religious beliefs and their distinctive art – among the most sought after on the contemporary art market. They remain one of the few non-Islamic non-Christian cultures in West Africa and live in ancient cliff-dwellings. Among the traditional Dogon structures are men’s cult houses called Toguna. The thick, flat roofs are supported by dozens of Y-shaped posts with carvings often addressing fertility and other aspects of Dogon spiritual life. The posts can be decades, if not hundreds, of years old.

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