Dogon Bronze Kneeling Figure

Hunched forward with arms tucked in, a weighty little bundle of patience.

This kneeling bronze figure is Dogon, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the 19th century. Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin, and in West Africa it is often worked from recycled metal, which gives each cast a slightly different color and density. Compact figure kneeling with a rounded back, arms folded close to the body and a long, faceted head with an oval face. The surface is dark and smooth, flecked with grey-green deposits. Form is heavy and simplified. It is 1 inches wide, 1.5 deep and 2.5 high.

Not a gesture wasted, and not a line too many.