Dashi NAMDAKOV (b. 1967)
Memory of the Future
2001
Bronze, Cast and Patinated
77 x 53 x 33 cm
Edition of 15 + 4AP
DAS-040
Memory is an image of an old Siberian shaman, a keeper of sacred knowledge of the universe. In Memory, Namdakov has sculpted the shaman’s traditional Siberian cloak as if sewn with attributes in the form of bells, bronze mirrors, and cowrie shells, which carry magical properties. The headdress – often a mask or crown shaped like an animal or bird’s head – is here modeled as two elk skulls with giant racks of antlers. These are covered with images that look like ancient petroglyphs. The stylistic features of such shamanic masks speak of bygone eras, timeless reflection, and of foreknowledge of the future, making the shaman a symbolic image of immortality. So authentically does the sculptor model the work that it is almost possible to hear the sound of throat singing and see the action of a mysterious shamanic ritual.
Copyright 2019-2023 Hanart
