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PRIMITIVE
ART
ART
PRECOLUMBIAN
Vesselsintheformofsculpture
wereproducedinsignificant
inPrecolumbian
numbers
Mexico,andthosemadeduring
Olmectimes,oratabouttheturnofthefirst
millennium
B.C.,
aretodayamongthemostengaging
oftheseworksofart.The
birds,animals,andfish,all
sculptures
commonly
represent
workedinwell-modeled,
ifsimplified,
detail.Olmecceramics
arechiefly
whiteorblack;therearesculptural
vesselsinboth
blackwas favored.
Thelatter,
a productof
colors,although
thefiring
process,rangesinhuefromdense,richblackto
Thesurfaces
wereusuallyfinished
smokygray.
bya combinationofhighly
burnished
andmatpatterned
textures.
A
couldbe rubbedintothematareas,
powderedredpigment
a rose-pink
castthatcontrasts
wellwiththepolish
producing
oftheplaindarkceramic.Evenat thisearlydate,Olmec
commandoftechnique,
andsubtlety
ofconception
clearly
illustrate
thethorough
oftheceramicmedium
understanding
inMexico.
BirdVessel
Mexican(Olmec),izth-9thcentury
B.C.
Ceramic
Height,61Ain. (i6.5 cm.)
Rogers Fund, 1986
1986.45
JJ
70
AFRICAN
ART
thigh,and are decoratedwitha panel of alternatinghorizontal and verticalstripesand zigzags in front,a triangular
sectionofzigzags in therear,and concentriccirclesovereach
hip. On his head appears to be a softwovencottoncap,
pushed back behindthe ears and draped overthenape of the
neckin one ofthemanystylesin whichDogon menwear this
flexiblegarment.A sheathedknifeis strappedto his upper
leftarm,a pendantis depictedin reliefon his chest,and
multipleincisedbands encirclehis wristsand ankles. The
figureis also bearded,indicatingthathe is an elderand
thereforeworthyof respect.The shortpants and the staffattributesof a youngman-do not refutethisstatus,but,
rather,conformto theAfricanpreferenceforportraying
personsofspiritualor politicalpower,usuallyachievedin old
age, as iftheywere physicallyin theprimeof life.
Severalof thesefeatures-and such othersas theprojecting
beard, rimmedand bulgingeyes,and domed forehead-are
also seen on terracottasculpturesfromthenearbyInland
Niger Delta regionof Mali. The terracottaswereprobably
made fromthetwelfthto theeighteenthcentury,and it has
been suggestedthatsome of the Dogon wood figuresmaybe
contemporaneouswiththem.The Dogon claimthatmanyof
the wood sculpturesfoundon theBandiagara cliffswerethe
work of theTellempeople who livedtherebeforethe Dogon
arrived.The arid climateof thecliffs,and the factthatthe
sculptureswere oftenstoredin caves thatprotectedthem
fromtheelements,may have enabled themto survivelonger
than wood sculpturein morehumidpartsof Africa.Radiocarbon analysesof some Dogon, or Tellem,sculptureshave
been undertakento establishtheirage, but,althoughthe
resultshave generallysupportedthe relativeantiquityof
Dogon art,theyhave so farnot been conclusive.
There are wide variationsin Dogon sculpturalstyle.This
figureis similarto a numberofothers-especially,to a standing femalefigurein thecollectionof theDallas Museum of
wellFine Arts-that have in common a relativelyfleshy,
roundedbody,long thickneck and long oval head, broad
mouth,wide and slightlybulgingeyes,and stronglyprojectingchinor beard.The figuresin thisgroupoftenincorporate
subtleasymmetrical
elements,suchas a raisedor bentarmas in our example. This gesture,togetherwiththe slight
paunch and thepositionof theknees-flexed and readyto
springinto action-enlivens thesculptureand lends it a
genre-like,almostcasual aspect. While muchhas been written about themythologicalbasis of Dogon sculpture,many
Dogon figures,includingthisone, are portrayedin activities
thatseemto refermoreto everydaylife-men playingmusical
instruments
or ridinghorses,women usingmortarsand
pestlesor holdingand feedingchildren-than to theeventsof
Dogon myth.The fullmeaningofthisfigure'sgesture,as well
as its date, awaits furtherfieldresearch.
StandingMale Figure
Mali (Dogon),dateunknown
Wood
in. (64.5 cm.)
Height,z53/8
GiftofLesterWunderman,
1985
1985.422.2
KE
71