Figure with Raised Arms

13th–14th century

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

Sculptures attributed to a workshop identified with the village of Tintam are defined by powerful, rounded contours and a vivid red hue associated with ritual transformation. We can only speculate about the concerns underlying certain recurring Dogon representations. Several freestanding figures produced by the Tintam atelier feature a raised-arm gesture in which one hand clenches in a fist with thumb raised and the opposite hand opens flat. Each figure wears a labret, or lip ornament, tabbed necklace, and a panel of fabric that extends between the legs. The gender of the two figures with raised arms is ambiguous, given the emphasis on a beard and triangular pendant breasts.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

References

Title: Figure with Raised Arms
Artist: Master of Tintam
Date: 13th–14th century
Geography: Mali, Tintam region
Culture: Dogon peoples
Medium: Wood, red pigment
Dimensions: H. 38 9/16 × W. 7 1/2 × D. 6 5/16 in. (98 × 19 × 16 cm)
Classification: Wood-Sculpture
Credit Line: Museum Rietberg, Zurich
Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing