https://emuseum.cornell.edu/internal/media/dispatcher/76185/fullDoor-lock with six ancestor figures13 1/4 x 3 3/4 x 1 inches (33.7 x 9.5 x 2.5 cm)WoodGift of William W. BrillED 4028.0250Wood door-lock sculpted with six ancestor figures, with incised linear design and encrustation.
The Dogon use locks to secure the doors to granaries, vestibules, houses, and chicken coops. There are two types of door locks: ta koguru attach directly to doors and tend to be sculpted using a variety of forms whereas dur kunu attached to a post on the inside of the door frame and are typically unadorned. This ta koguru lock was probably used on a granary door; house locks tend to be larger and are less commonly collected
Dogon blacksmiths carve locks from the hard and durable wood of the toro tree. After carving, he etches the surface using the tip of a heated cutting knife, and blackens certain areas with a hot iron. Finally, he applies a solution made from the seed pods of the bagana in order to keep the charred surface from peeling.
Dogon door locks are composed of three parts: a vertical beam called ta koro (the only extant portion of this lock); a horizontal beam which slides back and forth called a ta dagu; and the key called a ta i. The blacksmith maker carves both the vertical and horizontal beams, and uses metal to create the locking mechanism (metal prongs suspended from a shelf in the back of the vertical beam). These metal prongs fall into matching holes in the horizontal beam. The key contains metal pins embedded perpendicularly on one side which match the holes in the horizontal beam and the locking pins in the vertical beam. The prongs from the key lift the vertical beam's locking pins, thus unlocking the horizontal beam.
The Dogon view the door lock in gendered terms. The hollowed vertical beam represents the female and the horizontal beam stands for the male part. Their intersecting forms suggest sexual intercourse. The lock may also play with androgyny (a common attribute of Dogon sculpted couples). The vertical beam (the female part of the lock) has metal prongs which fit into holes in the horizontal beam (the male part of the lock).
The six figures on the lock may represent female lineage founders or nommo, the primordial, prehuman ancestors of the Dogon. According to their creation myth, Amma created the earth from clay and through sexual intercourse with the earth gave birth to the first pair of androgynous beings called nommo. On this door lock the nommo appear as articulated beings in a seated position. Among the Dogon, thresholds such as doorways are viewed as vulnerable transition points. Thus, the nommo and door lock may serve as guardians to an important closure, the granary.
Carved locks have become rare in Dogon country due to the spread of Islam and its prohibition of figurative decoration. The international art market and the thieves who sometimes supply it have discouraged the use of elaborately carved doors and locks. Padlocks and unadorned home-made locks have largely replaced older sculpted locks. The more recent locks retain the traditional structure, but feature only a simple lozenge shape at the top at best.
Dane Patterson '07 conducted research for this description.
Sculpture21495525468Dogon (Mali)BRIEF DESCRIPTION
The Dogon use locks to secure the doors to granaries, vestibules, houses, and chicken coops. This lock was probably used on a granary door; house locks tend to be larger and are less commonly collected.
WHERE WAS IT MADE?
The Dogon people live in Mali, on the West coast of Africa.
HOW WAS IT MADE?
Dogon blacksmiths carve locks from the hard and durable wood of the toro tree. After carving, the blacksmith etches the surface using the tip of a heated cutting knife, and blackens certain areas with a hot iron. Finally, he applies a solution made from the seedpods of the bagana in order to keep the charred surface from peeling.
HOW WAS IT USED?
Dogon door locks are composed of three parts: a vertical beam called ta koro (the only extant portion of this lock); a horizontal beam which slides back and forth called a ta dagu; and the key called a ta i. The blacksmith carves both the vertical and horizontal beams, and uses metal to create the locking mechanism (metal prongs suspended from a shelf in the back of the vertical beam). These metal prongs fall into matching holes in the horizontal beam. The key contains metal pins embedded perpendicularly on one side, which match the holes in the horizontal beam and the locking pins in the vertical beam. The prongs from the key lift the vertical beam's locking pins, thus unlocking the horizontal beam.
WHY DOES IT LOOK LIKE THIS?
There are two types of door locks: ta koguru attach directly to doors and tend to be sculpted using a variety of forms whereas dur kunu attached to a post on the inside of the door frame and are typically unadorned. This is a ta koguru lock.
The Dogon view the door lock in gendered terms. The hollowed vertical beam represents the female and the horizontal beam (missing on this lock) stands for the male part. Their intersecting forms suggest sexual intercourse. The lock may also play with androgyny (a common attribute of Dogon sculpted couples). The vertical beam (the female part of the lock) has metal prongs that fit into holes in the horizontal beam (the male part of the lock).
The six figures on the lock may represent female lineage founders or nommo, the primordial, prehuman ancestors of the Dogon. According to their creation myth, Amma created the earth from clay and through sexual intercourse with the earth gave birth to the first pair of androgynous beings called nommo. On this door lock the nommo appear as articulated beings in a seated position. Among the Dogon, thresholds such as doorways are viewed as vulnerable transition points. Thus, the nommo and door lock may serve as guardians to an important closure, the granary.
Carved locks have become rare in Dogon country due to the spread of Islam and its prohibition of figurative decoration. The international art market and the thieves who sometimes supply it have discouraged the use of elaborately carved doors and locks. Padlocks and unadorned homemade locks have largely replaced older sculpted locks. The more recent locks retain the traditional structure, but feature only a simple lozenge shape at the top at best.
Dane Patterson '07, contributed to this entry.
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