The binu ginu, a shamanistic shrine, Ogol du Haut village, Mali

Object Details

Local Numbers: EENG-VII-13, 36.
General: Title source: Index card based on photographer's notes.
Local Note: Typed index card reads, "T 1 Dgn. Dogon. Mali, Ogol du Haut. Village shrine. 1/1971. EE. neg.no. VII-13, 36." The card was written in 1977-79 by Archives staff using source provided by photographer.

Topic: Vernacular architecture; Cultural landscapes; Religious buildings; Shrines

See more items in: Eliot Elisofon Field collection; Eliot Elisofon Field collection / Mali

Archival Repository: Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

Type: Archival materials; Negatives (photographic); Black-and-white negatives; Negatives

Collection Citation: Eliot Elisofon Field Collection, EEPA 1973-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution

Collection Rights: Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. Where noted, some images remain under the copyright of Life/Shutterstock. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Scope and Contents: "The binu ginu, a shamanistic shrine, serves the binu keju (shaman), who makes sacrifices on behalf of the whole village. The binu are spirits belonging to the place and they are so powerful that they make take possession of the shaman and put him in a trance." [Hollyman S. and Van Beek W., 2001: Dogon, Africa's People of the Cliffs. Harry N Abrams, Inc.]. During his trip to Mali, Elisofon visited the Dogon people in the Sanga region. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Westinghouse Film and traveled to Africa from October 26, 1970 to end of March 1971.

Collection Restrictions: Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.