People of Dogon are one of the most remarkable people in all of Africa due to their unique traditions, lifestyle, and culture. The Dogon people live perched on a sandstone cliff 1,000 feet high on Bandiagara Plateau, in a region located between Mali and Upper Volta south of the Niger River. The Dogon people build their villages and individual houses based on their cosmology and dual symbolism of the male-female fertility.
In the Dogon cosmology, the creator of the universe was the God called Amma that represents fundamental dualist elements of nature such as women and men, life or death, etc. Dogon people are also known for their knowledge about Sirius system which dates back to 3200 BC, long before it was discovered by scientists in 1862. The Dogon are famous for their incredible artistic abilities that predominantly focus on mask carving called ‘inima’ and wooden figurative art. There are three main cults that incorporate mask making: Awa – the cult of the dead that focuses on funeral and death anniversary ceremonies; Lebe – celebrating the Earth God that affects the fertility of the soil and agriculture in general; Binu – the supernatural protective being that often reveals itself in a form of an animal. During the ceremonies masked dancers known as “damas” perform traditional dances, however only a few ceremonial dances can be seen by the outsiders.
The traditional attire of dancers is very colorful, however the costumes, ritual elements, and masks design often vary from one village to another. The most commonly known look includes waist, wrist, and ankle bands made of plaited fiber strips, dyed fuchsia pink and golden yellow colors; black or brown vests woven of fiber and embroider with white cowry shells. The mask’s colors and overall design often varies on the type of the ceremony but most commonly known design is black or brown masks carved into unique face-like shapes that are often decorated with colorful fiber strips and have painted ornaments with traditional colors. The unique attire, colors, and traditions of the Dogon people inspired the design of Monteverde USA® Dogon pen collection. The primary inspiration was the Dama dancer’s attire which can be noted in the colors of the exclusive custom hand-made and mixed high-quality resin; the mix of fuchsia pink, golden yellow, brown, and green colors are all pulled from traditional costumes and mask designs of ceremonial attires. Accented with chrome trim and a polished ring, engraved with the name of the people – “Dogon” and traditional ornaments.
The following pen collection appears hypnotizing to the eye. This pen collection was created to bring attention to the Dogon’s culture, traditions, and sacred believes and raise awareness about the importance of the People of the world. Monteverde USA® Dogon pen is available in ballpoint modes. The twist-action ballpoint pen accepts standard Monteverde USA® refills P1 and P4 (Parker® style). Each Monteverde USA® pen features a lifetime warranty and is sold in a luxurious gift box. Monteverde USA® is committed to supporting and protecting indigenous peoples and their cultures around the globe and will donate a portion of the proceeds from the People of the World collection to organizations that work towards furthering that goal.
