DOGON or TELLEM, Mali, Bandiagara cliff region - Lot 411

DOGON or TELLEM, Mali, Bandiagara cliff region Small ritual altar in the form of a stylized horse wood, old brown patina oozing in places, some localized weathering Height 10 cm Length: 43.5 cm Missing and used. Note : The Dogon people, who live on the Bandiagara cliff in Mali, have inherited some of the traditions of the Tellem, the region's earliest occupants. Domestic altars and ritual supports play a central role in their worship of ancestors and invisible forces. The deeply weathered upper surface bears witness to prolonged ceremonial use. The oozing patina, accumulated in successive layers, reveals repeated libations and offerings, giving the object a strong ritual charge and presence.