Kotoko Bronze Equestrian Figure

The rider leans backward as the horse tips forward, a drama in miniature

This equestrian figure is Kotoko, from Chad, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is bronze. Small bronzes of a rider on horseback typically show a simplified body, an upright seat and a stylized head, with details worked into the cast surface. Dark, matte brown surface with a rough, grainy texture. A figure bends sharply back, arms drawn toward a thin rein that runs down to a looped horse head with pointed ears. The long legs flare outward. It is 2.5 inches wide, 0.75 deep and 2.6 high.

Physics suggests trouble, but the horse seems committed.