Support Post (Toguna)

Description

At least one togu na (meaning “great shelter”) can be found in every Dogon village, functioning as a meeting place for the male elders of the community. The togu na is an open structure consisting of a thatched roof supported by a series of vertical posts. The posts, such as this one, are generally carved to depict females or, as is the case here, males that, through the representation of exaggerated genitalia, symbolize fertility and therefore the future of Dogon society. This post, like most, is about five and a half feet tall, and the low-hanging roof would typically require the men to sit when inside. This important architectural element therefore embodies the values of secrecy, community, and shelter that are important to Dogon culture.

Provenance

Hélène Leloup, Paris, France, 1957 [collected in situ, see photo in Leloup 2011, p. 73]. Muriel Kallis Newman, Chicago, Ill., before 1981; given to the Art Institute, 2007.

Support Post (Toguna)

Dogon

Early/mid–20th century

Accession Number

192674

Medium

Wood

Dimensions

182.9 × 40.1 × 8.9 cm (72 × 15 3/4 × 3 1/2 in.)

Classification

wood

Museum

The Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, United States

Credit Line

Gift of Muriel Kallis Newman