Origin: This Dagari ancestor statue comes from the collection of Fofana Sankoung, who was a dealer in African art (Kumasi / Amsterdam) from the 1960s onwards.
This ancestor statue, also called 'Kpiin Dâa', comes from the Dagari (also known as Dagaaba or Dagara), a subgroup of the Lobi people from southwestern Burkina Faso.
Kpiin Dâa (literally translated: wooden statue of deceased ancestor) are simplistic, anthropomorphic wooden statues. The phallic shape of the figure refers to the strength and power of the (always male) deceased it represents.
These statues are traditionally used as protectors against disease and evil, and as counselors. They can be consulted with the help of a spiritual mediator, known as the Tijpa.
