Fon Iron Fertility Fetish, Based

One crisp cone, one narrow stem and a foot that sits rather neatly on the block.

This iron fertility fetish figure on a base is Fon, from Togo, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. Figures called fetishes in the older literature are made to be activated and used by a priest or owner, and their meanings depend on the community that made them. Clearly, a tall tapering cap with a flat tip rests on a long rod, which bends sharply into a short horizontal foot. The color is a rusty red-brown with a rough, flaking texture and small dark flecks. It is 3 inches wide, 1 deep and 8 high.

Narrow, upright and a touch severe, in the most agreeable way.