Dogon Toguna Post

This intricately carved sculptural object by the Dogon people of Mali combines motifs from traditional Dogon ladders and toguna posts, monumental forked structures used to support the thatched roof of a toguna building. A recreation of the original shelter where eight primordial ancestors once gathered, a toguna in an important gathering space in the center of a Dogon village. Each toguna post is carved with an abstract figure, intended to symbolize fertility or express a particular spirit. Bearing a figure with arms outstretched, this small post is also carved with the stepped notches characteristic of tall Dogon ladders. A seamless blend of motifs, we love the graceful bend and gestural form of this sculptural hand-carved object.