Dogon Ritual Vessel with Equestrian Figure Surmounting Lid, Mali

John J. Klejman, New York
Mr. and Mrs. Klaus Perls, New York, acquired from the above in 1974
Sotheby's, New York, May 8, 1996, Lot 209, consigned by the above
John Giltsoff, New York, acquired at the above auction
S. Thomas Alexander III, St. Louis, acquired from the above in 1996

Good condition for an object of this type and age. Marks, nicks, scratches, abrasions, and small chips consistent with age and use. Loss to top part of figure's proper right arm. Old loss to lower horse's tail. Vertical age crack to bowl. Cavity under rim of lid. Fixed permanently to wood base. Surface worn, with fine, thick oily black smoke patina.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
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Large lidded cup-shaped vessels like the present sculpture were associated with the Hogon, or spiritual leader of the Dogon community, and were used to hold food consumed during the investment rituals during which a new Hogon was appointed. The sculptural iconography refers to aspects of a complex mythical pantheon, and particularly to the Hogon's place within Dogon cosmology, as well as his relationship to his earthly community.  The mounted figure surmounting the lid represents the Hogon, with his horse as a symbol of strength, wealth, and heroic virtue.  Another horse supports the underside of the bowl; the recurrence of equestrian iconography also refers to Nommo, a supernatural being from Dogon origin myth, who was transformed into a horse in order to carry the ark containing the eight founding ancestors to earth. Animals rendered in relief surround the bowl, including crocodiles which may represent ayo geu, the black crocodile that ultimately killed Nommo.

For two other related vessels, also both previously owned by John J. Klejman, see Sotheby's, New York, May 11, 2012, lot 71; and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (inv. no. "1979.206.173a-c").  For another closely related example previously in the collection of Béla Hein which was included in the 1935 exhibition African Negro Art at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, see Fraysse, Paris, June 6, 2005, lot 53.

The present example is particularly remarkable for its strikingly cubistic sculptural style.  With characteristic intellectual prowess, the Dogon sculptor has described the natural forms of the horse, rider, and animals with ingeniously organized geometric planes, in an expression of the mathematical precision of Dogon thought.  Particularly ingenious is the layered play on equestrian iconography; the cup is not only surmounted by a horse rider, but has legs in relief extending from the bottom of the cup, astride the horse which supports it.  Thus the entire sculpture can be interpreted as a representation of the Hogon himself, with the vessel as the body, and the equestrian figure as the head.