Dogon ta koguru lock, Mali - Lot 149

Lot n° 149
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Estimation :
1000 - 1500 EUR
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Result : 900EUR
Dogon ta koguru lock, Mali - Lot 149
Dogon ta koguru lock, Mali Wood H. 55 cm This zoomorphic lock has the classic appearance of a stylized crocodile, the wooden box with latch taking on the appearance of the animal's body - notched dorsal rib extended by a long tail, outstretched legs, scales represented by a network of crossed parallel lines. The composition revolves around these two elements, the chest and the crosspiece, symbolizing the union between Man and Woman. If the iconography of these locks is limited, it's because symbols are a form of language in their own right in Dogon society. Among these recurring motifs, the crocodile is widely represented; symbolizing renewal and fertility, but also danger, it carries within it the duality of the world. If these locks close the entrance to fetish huts or millet granaries, eminently sacred places, their effectiveness appears to be more spiritual than material since, as Réginald Groux points out, "the lock on which an allegorical sculpture is enthroned does not mark a need to close; on the contrary, it is an opening onto an initiatory universe, an invitation to wisdom and reflection. To protect the place, this mute guardian, invested with all the wisdom of the ancients, simply warns man against his own demons". (Groux Réginald, Des serrures sculptées du Mali, Arts d'Afrique Noire, Winter 2003, Issue 128, p8-11.)
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