Kissi Stone Torso Figure

A head on a stack of rings, with the expression of someone who has seen it all.

Kissi carvers of Sierra Leone, West Africa, made this stone torso figure, dated in the record to the 17th century. Small stone figures from the Kissi region are often associated with ancestors and are commonly found in the ground rather than handed down. The head is rounded and smooth, with heavy brows, wide eyes and a firm mouth. Below it the neck swells into thick, rolled bands that form the body. The grey stone is dark and weathered, with a gently pitted surface.

About 6 inches tall. Small enough for a desk, and a better listener than most.