Dogon Bronze Maternity Figure

Mother and child sit on a stool, pressed so close they almost become one form.

Dogon casters of Mali, West Africa, made this maternity figure in bronze in the early 20th century. Mothers with children are often seen across West Africa as symbols of fertility, continuity and care. A woman with a long, crested head sits on a small stool, one arm looped around a child who nurses at her breast. The mother’s face has a defined, pointed muzzle, and the base has square feet. The bronze has dark green and rusty brown patina with traces of orange.

About 4 inches tall. Tender and small, and not at all sentimental.