article

Graphic symbolism in the Dogon granary: grains, time, and the notion of history

Journal of African studies3 (1)Published In 1976 • Pages: 35-50

By: Flam, Jack D..

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
As the title suggests, this source is concerned with the symbolic significance of the Dogon granary. The author begins with a discussion of Dogon graphic symbolism in general and of how Dogon graphic design is anchored in the nature of Dogon thought. He follows with a description of the construction and physical characteristics of one particular Dogon granary. In the symbolic analysis of the granary Flam discusses 1) the relationship between the construction of the granary and the nature of Dogon thought and 2) the mythological events and characters and cosmology of the Dogon recalled and commemorated in the structure of the granary.
SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
Outbuildings
Decorative art
Representative art
Numerology
Ethnophysics
cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
Dogon
HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
2000
RegionThe area the document pertains to
Africa
Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
Western Africa
Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
article
Evaluation
Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
Art Historian
Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
4: Excellent Secondary Data
AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
Gerald Reid ; 1988
Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
no date
Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
1962
Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
Sanga, Bandiagara Circle, Mopti Region, Mali
NotesAdditional notes
Jack D. Flam
Includes bibliographical references
LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
74648490
LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
Dogons (African people)