Dogon Seated Maternity Figure

Bright bronze breaks through the green wherever hands have rubbed it.

This seated maternity figure is Dogon, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is bronze. Mother and child figures are a recurring subject in Dogon art and are generally linked to fertility and the continuity of the family line. She sits upright on a low stool, a small child held against her chest, another hand resting on the knee. Her head is capped, nose long and straight, mouth pushed forward. Green patina covers most of the surface, with golden metal showing on the high points. It is 1.25 inches wide and 3 high.

Three inches of patience, cast in metal.