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Granary Door
Granary Door

Granary Door

DateEarly mid-20th century
MediumWood and iron
Dimensions19 1/4 x 16 3/4 in. (48.9 x 42.5 cm)
ClassificationsWood
Credit LineGift of Klaus and Joan Ries
Object number2016.21.1
On View
Not on view
Label TextDogon blacksmiths also served as sculptors, carving wooden doors and locks for houses, granaries, and shrines. Such sculptures were decorated with symbolic motifs drawn from Dogon mythology and religious beliefs, including depictions of primordial ancestors (nommo). Dogon belief indicates that humans are born bisexual or androgynous, like the primordial couple, and gender is settled later in life.

This small, weathered door or shutter would have probably sat high on a free-standing granary building made of puddled earth and topped with a thatched-covered roof. Its posts act as hinges and were inserted into matching holes bored into the granary's doorframe. Doors of such structures were secured with a bolt lock that was affixed to the door, evidence of its placement is visible in the darkened area with holes on the door's proper right. It is thus opened and secured opposite to the current photo, which shows the door upside down.
ProvenanceCollected by Hans Ries (1907–1998), Mali, ca. 1961; exported to United States before 1969; to son, Klaus Ries, Southern Pines, NC; given to NCMA, 2016.
Exhibition HistoryRaleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, "The People's Collection, Reimagined," October 7, 2022–December 9, 2024. Object Rights Statement

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