Kotoko Stylized Equestrian Figure

Legs splay out like a spider and the rider just hangs on.

Kotoko metalworkers of Chad, Central Africa, made this stylized equestrian figure in bronze in the 20th century. Horse and rider forms are commonly associated with status. The horse stretches its neck in a hooked curve, its legs splayed wide and drawn out in long points. A thin rider clings along its back, with a braided line looped across. The bronze is dark gold with hints of green in the creases.

About two inches tall. Like a horse sketched in a hurry by a master.