African Arts Gallery

Dogon knife (N° 22453)

Knife whose handle is carved with an anthropomorphic figure referring to the ancestors. The face is notched with hatching depicting a beard and eyebrows, the figure with joined hands stands astride the handle extended by a blade with eroded contours.
Light brown satin patina, grainy oxidized blade.
Dogon blacksmiths form an endogamous caste among the Dogon called irim. They now produce weapons, tools, and also work with wood. "Masters of fire" associated in the Dogon cosmogony with the primordial beings "Nommo" created by the god Ama, they are also supposed to heal burns. Small metal objects, made using the lost-wax technique, were widespread in the Inner Niger Delta region, with copper reaching it through trans-Saharan trade.