Kissi Stone Seated Figure

A round, solemn face, a ribbed body and a snug cap.

This seated figure was carved in grey stone by Kissi artists of Sierra Leone, West Africa, and is dated in the record to the 17th century. Small stone figures of this kind are often found in the soil of Sierra Leone and Guinea, and are commonly associated with ancestors and with the fertility of farmland. The head is wide and rounded with a brimmed cap, heavy brows and a broad nose and mouth. The body below is a stack of horizontal ridges. The stone is weathered to a soft, matte grey.

About 4 inches tall. Fits in a palm, weighs on the mind.