In Dogon cosmology, "Amma" is the creator of the universe and all life in it. The first being, created by Amma, was "Nommo". Iron likenesses of the first ancestor are placed on personal shrines when asking for rain. The uplifting arms gesture both a request for moisture and simultaneously an offering of gratitude. The bells hanging from the ankles or elbows summon the ancestors to heed the supplicant's plea.

Life Force at the Anvil
The Blacksmith's Art from Africa

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