Lobi Bronze Pendant: Depiction of Water Buffalo Head with Bird

Horns sweep up from a tapering, textured muzzle with wide-set round eyes.

This bronze pendant depicting a water buffalo head with a bird is Lobi, and dates to the 20th century. It is burkina faso, ivory coast or ghana, west africa. Lobi bronzes are cast by the lost-wax method, and animal pendants are among the most common small works made by the metalworkers of the region. Cast head with long curving horns, a beaked crest rising between them and two large round eyes. A concentric spiral sits on the long nose, which has a crosshatched finish. The cast metal is dark brown with golden wear. It is 1.75 inches wide, 1.25 deep and 3.25 high.

All horns and no hurry.