<div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://ti2.auctiva.com/sw/java.gif" border="0"><br><table align="center"><tr><td><a style="text-decoration:none" href="http://emporium.auctiva.com/netguard" target="_blank"><img src="http://ti2.auctiva.com/sw/browse1.gif" border="0"></a></td><td height="23px" valign="middle" align="center"><font face="arial" size="2"><b><a href="http://emporium.auctiva.com/netguard" target="_blank">netguard</a> Store</b></font></td></tr></table></div> <img src="http://ti2.auctiva.com/web/aswCredit.gif" border="0"><br><a href="http://www.auctiva.com/?how=scLnk2" target="_blank"><img src="http://ti2.auctiva.com/images/sc1line2.gif" border="0"></a> Exquisite,Highly Ornamented Antique Dogon (circa mid-late 1800s), Cast Bronze Horseman Warrior. From the old private collection of the internationally celebrated artist and ardent Africanist. This is a rare, museum quality authentic artifact (circa mid- late 1800s) Depicting a Horseman. The item is about 4 1/2"x4 ", in excellent antique condition.This cast equestrian figure expresses status, prestige andpower. It would bring honor to the ancestors, the current leadership and theowner of the sculpture. Although rare, horsemen as icon have existed for 1000years in Mali. Some would depict a hogon, the supreme officeholder, asemi-divine leader of great wisdom, or even a mythological emissary from adistant land.Dogon art is extremely versatile, although commonstylistic characteristics – such as a tendency towards stylization – areapparent on the statues. Their art deals with the myths whose complex ensembleregulates the life of the individual. The sculptures are preserved ininnumerable sites of worship, personal or family altars, altars for rain,altars to protect hunters, in market. As a general characterization of Dogonstatues, one could say that they render the human body in a simplified way,reducing it to its essentials. Some are extremely elongated with emphasis ongeometric forms. The subjective impression is one of immobility with amysterious sense of a solemn gravity and serene majesty, although conveying atthe same time a latent movement. Dogon sculpture recreates the hermaphroditicsilhouettes of the Tellem, featuring raised arms and a thick patina made of bloodand millet beer. The four Nommo couples, the mythical ancestors born of the godAmma, ornament stools, pillars or men’s meeting houses, door locks, and granarydoors. The primordial couple is represented sitting on a stool, the base ofwhich depicts the earth while the upper surface represents the sky; the two areinterconnected by the Nommo. Horsemen are remainders of the fact that, according to myth, the horse was thefirst animal present on earth. The Dogon style has evolved into a kind ofcubism: ovoid head, squared shoulders, tapered extremities, pointed breasts,forearms, and thighs on a parallel plane, hairdos stylized by three or fourincised lines. Dogon sculptures serve as a physical medium in initiations andas an explanation of the world. They serve to transmit an understanding to theinitiated, who will decipher the statue according to the level of theirknowledge. Carved animal figures, such as dogs and ostriches, are placed onvillage foundation altars to commemorate sacrificed animals, while granarydoors, stools and house posts are also adorned with figures and symbolsThe 400,000 Dogon live 180 miles south of Timbuktu on the cliffs of Bandiagara, which dominate the plains for over 150 miles. They speak approximately 120 dialects, many of which are not mutually comprehensible. At first hunters, now on their small fields they cultivate millet, sorghum, wheat, and onion. The millet is stored in high quadrangular granaries around which they build their houses. Because of the difficult approach to these regions and the aridity of the climate, the Dogon have been isolated and hence were able to conserve their ancient religious habits and ways of making the necessary implements, their carvings. Dogon social and religious organizationsare closely interlinked and out of this arose principal cults, which accountsfor the richness and diversity of Dogon culture and art. The clans aresubdivided onto lineages, overseen by the patriarch, guardian of the clan’sancestral shrine and officiant at the totemic animal cult. Beside thishierarchical system of consanguinity, male and female associations areentrusted with the initiations that take place by age group, corresponding togroups of newly circumcised or excised boys or girls. The Dogon believe theseoperations remove the female element from males and vice versa. Circumcisionthus creates a wholly male or female person prepared to assume an adult role.The members of an age group owe one another assistance until the day they die.Initiation of boys begins after their circumcision, with the teaching of themyths annotated by drawings and paintings. The young boys will learn the placeof humans in nature, society, and the universe. In the Dogon pantheon Ammaappears as the original creator of all the forces of the universe and of hisdescendant Lebe, the god of plant rebirth. The first Dogon primordialancestors, called Nommo, were bisexual water gods. They were created in heavenby the creator god Amma and descended from heaven to earth in an ark. The Nommofounded the eight Dogon lineages and introduced weaving, smithing, andagriculture to their human descendants. 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