Malian Standing Maternity Figure, Based

A broad collar rests on the shoulders like a shelf, with everything else standing under it.

This standing maternity figure is Djenne, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is bronze, and it comes on a base. Mother and child figures are a long-standing theme in West African sculpture and are generally linked to fertility and family. She stands upright with a banded, flaring collar around the neck and long arms clasped at the belly, where a small child is pressed. Fine lines mark the forehead. A green patina overlays brown metal. It is 2 inches wide, 2 deep and 5 high.

A figure with a lot to carry and no complaints.