Dogon Seated Male Figure

Twisting, tall figure that appears to sit on its own spine.

This seated male figure in forged metal is Dogon, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. Forged metal figures are made by heating the metal and shaping it with hammers, a craft that in many West African societies belongs to the blacksmith. Narrow, upright form with a bent, stacked body ends in a thin tapering head, like a stem. The legs fold at a block-like base. The surface is dark brown with rough crusty patches and pale flecks. It is 1 inches wide, 1.25 deep and 3 high.

A figure that leans toward the sky and holds that thought.