This is a lovely old wood sculpture of a Female ancestor, Dogon Peoples, Mali , West Africa.Carved wood with a well weathered surface suggesting use over many years. The figure features a kneeling female devotee with elaborate scarification along the arms, face, and chest. I am certain that there is some esoteric mystery to this pose we will likely never understand, but it is a remarkable example of the style and form and likely relates to ancestor worship.Sculptures such as this were traditionally placed on personal or village shrines and acted as a medium to the spirit world. The owner could call on the ancestor spirits for help with a number of maladies, including infertility. The figure itself measures 25 inches tall.

Fair, weathered