Female dege dal nda (sculpture of the terrace)
This female figure is one of about a dozen works that have been attributed to the same Dogon artist, identified by art historians as the "Master of Ogol" after a village in the Sanga region where a work in this corpus was collected in 1935. The shape of the head and facial features of works created by the Master are distinctive for the helmetlike head and the unique horizontally stacked mouth-nostrils-chin ensemble, closely framed by the strong vertical nose and cylindrical lip ornament. Works identified as dege dal nda, or "sculptures of the terrace," were only removed from storage for the funerals of prominent men, on which occasions they were dressed and displayed on the rooftop terrace of the deceased. Such figures may also have been part of altars established for women who had died during childbirth.
Artwork Details
- Title: Female dege dal nda (sculpture of the terrace)
- Artist: "Master of Ogol" (active late 18th–early 19th century[?], Sanga region, Mali)
- Date: 18th–19th century
- Geography: Mali
- Culture: Dogon peoples
- Medium: Wood
- Dimensions: H. 25 x W. 3 3/4 x D. 4 7/8 in. (63.5 x 9.5 x 12.4 cm)
- Classification: Wood-Sculpture
- Credit Line: Gift of Lester Wunderman, 1977
- Object Number: 1977.394.20
- Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Tellem or Dogon blacksmith
15th–19th century
India (Jammu and Kashmir, ancient kingdom of Kashmir)
7th century
India (Jammu and Kashmir, ancient kingdom of Kashmir),
7th–8th century
Western Tibet or Ladakh
14th century
India (Tamil Nadu, Pudukkottai and Tanjavur districts)
early 12th century
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Free to download
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.