LEIRIS (Michel) The Secret Language of the Dogon of Sanga (F - Lot 206

Lot 206
Aller au lot
Estimation :
100 - 160 EUR
Enchérir sur drouot.com
LEIRIS (Michel) The Secret Language of the Dogon of Sanga (F - Lot 206
LEIRIS (Michel) The Secret Language of the Dogon of Sanga (French Sudan). Paris, Institute of Ethnology, Musée de l'Homme, 1948. Works and Memoirs of the Institute of Ethnology, vol. L. Large 8vo, paperback, printed cover, XXXII-530 pp. The collation is confirmed by contemporary and specialized bibliographic references. First edition of this important study by Michel Leiris on the ritual language of the Dogon of Sanga. The result of work undertaken over several years, *The Secret Language of the Dogon of Sanga* is one of Leiris’s major ethnographic works and a key document on *sigi so*, the secret language used in Dogon religious and initiatory contexts. The chronology dedicated to Leiris by the Bibliothèque littéraire Jacques-Doucet places the writing of the work between 1935 and 1945, prior to its publication in 1948. The study goes far beyond the scope of a simple lexicon: Leiris analyzes the language in relation to rituals, the men’s society, initiations, masks, and religious representations. This copy notably includes the chapter devoted to the Sigi rites, featuring transcriptions of the formulas in the Dogon language and their French translations, as well as extensive linguistic and ethnographic documentation. Published by the Institute of Ethnology at the University of Paris, the work constitutes Volume L (50) of the *Travaux et Mémoires de l’Institut d’Ethnologie*. A facsimile reprint would not appear until 1992, published by Jean-Michel Place, which clearly distinguishes this original 1948 edition. An important work at the intersection of ethnology, African linguistics, the history of religions, and the literary and scientific work of Michel Leiris. A fine copy in its original condition. The softcover is intact, uniformly browned and slightly dusty, with a few minor signs of wear and slight scuffing at the edges. The spine and binding should be monitored given the book’s thickness, but the copy appears to be complete and still sturdy in the photographs. The interior shows even yellowing of the paper, more pronounced at the margins, with no significant visible defects. This is an untrimmed copy with wide margins, in quite attractive condition for this nearly 80-year-old academic publication.
Mes ordres d'achat
Informations sur la vente
Conditions de vente
Retourner au catalogue