Accession Number1975/1.69
TitleRitual Staff
Artist(s)DogonArtist NationalityDogon (culture or style)Object Creation Dateprobably 20th centuryMedium & Supportcarved woodDimensions 34 in x 1 3/4 in x 4 5/8 in (86.4 cm x 4.5 cm x 11.8 cm)
Credit LineGift of Dr. and Mrs. Irving F. BurtonLabel copyThe principle carvers among the Dogon are blacksmiths, who also make weapons and agricultural implements. The form and stylized carving on this staff resemble a number of Dogon staffs, including the YO DOMMOLO. YO DOMMOLO are staffs which belong to the ritual thieves, or YONA, of Dogon villages. Every family head is considered a YONA, though younger individuals can be appointed as substitutes. "Ritual thievery" was instituted to commemorate the ancestral blacksmith's theft of fire, for humans, from the heavens, which was done with an open-mouthed stick. Thus, YO DOMMOLO are characterized by carved heads with open mouths, pointed ears, and a line of zigzags down the back. YONA are representative of the ancestral blacksmith. They each hold a portion of the life-force of the ancestral smith which, at a YONA's death, is given back through the YO DOMMOLO. Following the death of a YONA, YONA from the surrounding areas gather and dance with the staffs hung over their shoulders.
Primary Object Classification Sculpture Primary Object TypestaffAdditional Object Classification(s)Ritual ObjectCollection AreaAfricanRightsIf you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit
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Keywords
Birds
Figures
Portraits
artists
ceremonial staffs
figures (representations)
man
men (male humans)
staff