Dogon Seated Female Ancestor Figure with Stone Offering

Arms wrapped around her knees, as if waiting for something worth the wait.

Dogon artists of Mali, West Africa, cast this seated female figure in bronze in the 20th century. Small Dogon bronzes of seated women are often connected with ancestral ritual and offering. She sits cross-legged with a long, upright neck, and limbs drawn in tightly around a small bundle held at her middle. The metal has a reddish-brown, slightly flaky patina with darker pockets where the casting settled. The face is small and finely pointed, framed by a tall crest.

About four inches tall. Patience, cast in metal.