SLIDE 19 Granary Door, Dogon, Mali, 20th century

IS THIS OBJECT TRADITIONAL OR MODERN? WAS IT MADE FOR USE IN A TRADITIONAL AFRICAN CULTURE? Here is another example of traditional African art. This is a portion of a door that was made by the Dogon people of Mali. It was used to close the small building in which a Dogon family would store their grain. These buildings are called granaries. Millet, a kind of grain, is the Dogon people's staple food, so storing it carefully is of great importance. The designs on the door are traditional. They depict lizards, which symbolize fertility and bounty to the Dogon. We don't know exactly when this door was carved, but we know it was made in the 20th century. This door illustrates how wood looks after it has begun to disintegrate. Because the granary door was outside, the wood began to disintegrate faster than wooden objects stored indoors. PART 4-PAGE 2 OF 7

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