Seated Couple
Culture: Dogon
Location: Mali
Date: 16th-19th Century
Medium: Wood, metal
(Photograph From ARTstor)
The Seated Couple, also known as the Ancestor Couple, comes from the Dogon peoples and is carved from wood. Both torsos are elongated tubular shapes, with articulations more schematic and rectilinear. 6 This depiction of a seated man and woman emphasizes balance, harmony and equality. Every visual element of the work stresses these qualities- from the posture of the figures, size, and to their complementary elements. 1 By the male having his arm around the female it is showing protection. The woman is carrying a child on her back signaling her role as a mother. This piece shows the importance of man and woman being together and the importance of them as a whole. The linking of the male arm around the woman's neck emphasizes the bond that is created by marriage.
1 Anne D’Alleva, How to Write Art History (Laurence King Publishing, 2006), 75.
6 Monica Blackmun Visona, A History of Art in Africa. (Pentice Hall, 2001), 135.
Location: Mali
Date: 16th-19th Century
Medium: Wood, metal
(Photograph From ARTstor)
The Seated Couple, also known as the Ancestor Couple, comes from the Dogon peoples and is carved from wood. Both torsos are elongated tubular shapes, with articulations more schematic and rectilinear. 6 This depiction of a seated man and woman emphasizes balance, harmony and equality. Every visual element of the work stresses these qualities- from the posture of the figures, size, and to their complementary elements. 1 By the male having his arm around the female it is showing protection. The woman is carrying a child on her back signaling her role as a mother. This piece shows the importance of man and woman being together and the importance of them as a whole. The linking of the male arm around the woman's neck emphasizes the bond that is created by marriage.
1 Anne D’Alleva, How to Write Art History (Laurence King Publishing, 2006), 75.
6 Monica Blackmun Visona, A History of Art in Africa. (Pentice Hall, 2001), 135.