Kotoko Bronze Equestrian Figure

Copper-pink, lumpy, and clearly cast with feeling.

This equestrian figure was cast in bronze and copper by Kotoko makers in Chad, Central Africa, in the 20th century. Kotoko horsemen are commonly associated with leaders and with prestige. A tall rider, built from stacked, rough-textured forms, sits on a horse with a heavy scrolled head and small rings at the neck. The four legs splay slightly. The surface has a reddish, coppery glow, bubbled and uneven where the metal ran, and it feels hand-built from end to end.

About four inches tall. The kind of piece that looks better each day you walk past.