African Arts Gallery

The closure systems of the Sudanese regions in African art
The door, consisting of two panels that hold two horizontal planks, is equipped with a lock. Carefully sculpted, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic representations appeal to the rich Cosmogon Dogon. The characters can symbolize previous generations, mythical ancestors, but the owners of the attic also appear frequently. Each of the characters at the top of the panel wears a kanaga mask, displayed by the Dogon during mourning ceremonies. Small scenes at the bottom of the panel also illustrate everyday life. According to the dogon cosmogon, The first primordial ancestors of Dogon, called Nommo , were the bisexual gods of water. They were created in heaven by the creator Amma and descended from heaven to earth in an ark. The Nommo founded the eight dogon lineages and instilled weaving, the art of forging, and agriculture in their human descendants. The motifs on the doors in Mali, apart from their decorative value, are intended to deter the intruder, whether human or animal, from entering. The locks and doors are cut from woods chosen according to the function of the building in which they will be used, because each plant is attributed to particular virtues.