Kotoko Ring with Equestrian Figure, Based

Backs hunched, two small figures crouch together on a bright round ring.

This bronze ring with equestrian figure and a base is Kotoko, from Chad, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. Kotoko metalworkers around Lake Chad cast small bronze rings topped with figures of people, animals and riders, a practice with deep local roots. Thick and warm yellow, the ring is topped by a cluster of rounded, bunched forms that read as a pair of figures in a tangle. A black stand supports it, and the surface is lightly rubbed. It is 1.75 inches wide, 1.5 deep and 4.75 high.

A cozy couple, and a very tight fit.