Dogon Mali granary door

Hello,

I inherited this wood carved granary door from my grandmother. She purchased it in 1979 in Florida. Any information on value or if it’s more of a decorative piece or a true antique.
Thanks!
Jacob

 

I can't read what's typed on the tag, other than the top line. But the door does look newer, rather than "antique." So many of these are on the market, and still being carved today, it's difficult to tell the age, especially from a photo.

 

nice door...........

 

There were two of these at the local consignment shop last year, they were newer than this one though.

 

It seems to say:

"Granary shutter Dogon, Mali

Small shutter carved in bas relief portrays "nomma" (?) or ancestral figures in vertical rows. These shutters, used on the granaries in this agricultural tribe, both protect the crop and promote fertility."

For whatever it's worth, the style of those sentences does 'sound' to me like something someone looking to market a product would write.

Nonetheless, I think the door is amazing and looks like it's in great condition.

 

Neat stuff!!! Best I could read......as verbatim as I could!

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The art of the Dogon people of Mali has been collected since the early 20th century, and by the 1960s the capital city, Bamako, was a major center of the art trade serving dealers and collectors. By the 1980s, traditional architectural elements became more common on the market with changes in building styles. So Dogon arts have been sought after for some time, with the result that artisans would make pieces for sale to collectors as well as for local use.

The monetary value of "ethnographic" art is closely tied to whether or not a piece can be shown to have been used in a traditional context, through physical signs of use and wear, documented provenance, or both. It is good that you have a dated bill of sale, which at least establishes a date before which the door must have been made. But the carving seems awfully clean and crisp, which would suggest that it was not exposed to the weather in a traditional setting. Another part to examine for wear would be the hinge pins.

Here are some nice examples of granary doors for comparison:
https://www.randafricanart.com/Dogon_granary_door.html

And one in context:

 

What are the dimensions? Looks like about 4 feet tall, maybe? Based on the photo next to a chair --

Very decorative, for sure. I'm not knowledgeable about such things, but some of the others here who are have already commented.

 

Thank you for all the info! Super informative!!