Ritual Vessel: Horse with Figures (Aduno Koro). Culture: Dogon peoples. Dimensions: H. 20 1/2 x L.93 x D. 18 1/2 in. (52.1 x 236.2 x 47 cm). Date: 16th-19th century.This monumental vessel was kept in the house of a lineage head in a Dogon community. It was used during an annual ritual known as "goru" to hold the offerings dedicated to Amma the Creator and the ancestors. Performed at the time of the winter solstice, the ceremony represents the culmination of rituals that celebrate the all-important millet harvest, whose abundance will support the family in the coming year.Such works have been described as "aduno koro," an "ark of the world," meant to represent the mythic ark sent by Amma to reorganize and populate the world. The "aduno koro" displays a wealth of imagery relating to the Dogon account of genesis. Holding the eight original human ancestors and everything they needed for life on earth, the ark was guided by Nommo, the primordial being who created order within the universe