Rare, Vintage, Burkina Faso,Dogon, Cast Bronze Bell/ Woman, Snake, Scorpion

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Rare, Vintage, Burkina Faso,Dogon, Cast Bronze Bell/ Woman, Snake, Scorpion:
$250.00

Rare, old, African cast bronze bell, 5 1/2\" H, from the Dogon in Mali. Great sculpture of a woman sitting on the bell, with images of a scorpion,snake, and decorative circles on the bell sides. Details on the woman, who sits with her hands on her knees, has her wearing a necklace and bracelets, and shows as well as her braided hair in the back. Bell clapper inside makes a nice sound.
Bronze casting has a long history in Africa, going back to the 14th or 15th century, and culminating in the beautiful bronze wall plaques in Benin that record the images of the warriors that fought in the service of the Oba, King of Benin. I was told by an African friend that the bell, and the other wonderful pieces in the collection I was recently able to buy, had various meanings for the individuals who owned them. They would have been taken into the“society house” (similar to a meeting place, church, shrine) and used for various rituals. The bells were often used in ceremonies conducted by a“healer”. (Someting about the scorpion, snake, and funny mouth of this woman lead me to suspect that she needed“healing” for something!)
The bell has a nice, dark patina to it and is in excellent condition. The clapper is removable. I have seen no other similar ones on the internet. Watch for the other wonderful bronze works I bought and will list. _gsrx_vers_566 (GS 6.7.1 (566))