Dogon Bronze Equestrian Figure

Tall rider on a stiff-legged mount, with a small passenger riding in front.

This Dogon equestrian figure in bronze is Dogon, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the early 20th century. The Dogon people live in central Mali, near the Bandiagara escarpment, and are widely known for their sculpture, masks and complex cosmology. Cast group of a long-faced rider seated on a rectangular horse with four straight legs, and a smaller figure perched ahead. A looped band circles the middle, and the dark surface is mottled with greenish traces. It is 4 inches wide, 0.75 deep and 4.5 high.

Crowded saddle, steady legs, firm sense of purpose.