Kotoko Bronze Equestrian Figure

A bird has hitched a ride on this horse, and the horse has accepted.

Kotoko metalworkers of Chad, Central Africa, cast this equestrian figure in bronze in the 20th century. Cast riders and horses are a familiar subject in the region and are generally read as signs of rank. The horse stands stiffly on four slender legs, with a long head and pricked ears. Perched on its back is a tall bird with a curved bill and fanned tail, rather than a human rider. The surface is a mottled bronze-green, darker in the recesses and bright on the edges.

About eight inches tall. A parade in miniature, with a most unusual passenger.