Mali’s Bandiagara Escarpment
Dogon

Wood and leather
Early 20th century
Length: 12.75 in; Width: 2.875 in; Depth: 2.75 in
Idiophone – Struck Directly – Concussion

A rare Dogon hand clapper instrument made from wood and leather.  It is suggested with the incised facial features that this clapper is tied to their animist belief and was used for special danced ceremonies of the ‘dama’ (funeral ceremony).  While some villages have adopted Islam and Christianity, a large percentage of Dogon are animists who believe in the importance of synergy between the spiritual world of gods and ancestors, and the living world.  Although well known for their magnificent wood carvings, the Dogon may be best known for a funeral ceremony called the ‘dama.’  It involves several days of spectacular dances that mimic people, animals, and spirits.  The ‘dama’ (funeral ceremony) is intended to help the deceased make the transition from the living to the spiritual worlds.  The Dogon live in the elevated rocky heights of Mali’s Bandiagara Escarpment and are primarily agriculturalists.