Makonde Ceramic Fetish Doll, Based

Square-shouldered and sturdy, cut from a heavier gray clay.

Makonde artists of Tanzania, East Africa, made this fetish doll in terra cotta in the late 19th or early 20th century. Such figures are commonly associated with protection and healing in the region. The figure stands on short bent legs with a ridged, flat face, wide ears and arms hanging down from solid, rounded shoulders. The clay is gray and warm brown, with a pitted, aged surface that shows a pale mineral crust here and there. It stands on a thin black base.

About 10 inches tall and 8 across. A sturdy fellow, and visibly no pushover.