Female Figure Standing with Arms Raised

16th to 19th century

The religious beliefs of the Dogon focus primarily on the spirits of ancestors, who are the intermediaries between the living and the forces of the universe. The deceased ancestors of one’s own clan or lineage are remembered and petitioned on altars.

This figure’s posture of up-stretched arms, with the left hand open and the fingers of the right hand closed, is a common Dogon motif that is often interpreted as a prayer for rain. Here it seems more likely to represent supplication to the ancestors.