Dogon Bronze Kneeling Figure, Based

A tall, ribbed column that turns out to be kneeling.

Dogon artists of Mali, West Africa, cast this kneeling figure in bronze in the early 20th century. Kneeling and seated figures in Dogon metalwork are commonly associated with ritual use, prayer and ancestral themes. The body is stretched into a narrow column with a pronounced collar of raised bumps and a crest-like head. Folded legs make a small base at the bottom. The surface is green-black with reddish and gray flecks, rough where the casting is crusted. It is mounted on a square black base.

About nine inches tall. It looks more like architecture than a person, which is part of the charm.