Kotoko Bronze Equestrian Figure

Curled horse head, rounded rider, and a skirt of ridges at the shoulders

This equestrian figure is Kotoko, from Chad, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is bronze. Horses have long been linked with status and leadership in the Sahel, where mounted riders are often associated with chiefs, warriors and courts. Banded shoulders, thick legs, and a medium brown patina. A figure with a ridged, domed top sits at an angle on the horse's back, one arm bent in. The horse's neck winds into a spiral with a knob at its end. It is 1.8 inches wide, 0.5 deep and 2.7 high.

A fine seat on a horse with unusual priorities.