Chadian Standing Maternity Figure, Based

Thin figure with a tall crest, one arm bent oddly back, standing on a black plate.

This standing maternity figure on a base is from Chad, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is bronze. Maternity figures, which show a mother with a child, are a widespread theme in African art and are generally linked with fertility and the continuity of a family. Here, a slim standing figure with a swept-up crest on a narrow head, one arm folded against a leaning torso and the other tucked close. The legs are plain and straight. The surface is dark with blue-green flecks. It is 1.5 inches wide, 1.5 deep and 3.6 high.

Leaning a little, but certainly planted on the spot.