Dogon Hair Pin Depicting Kneeling Male Figure, Based

Nearby, a plain shaft, a carved head, and a very straight sense of purpose.

This hair pin depicting a kneeling male figure is Dogon, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is bronze. The Dogon of Mali's cliff country are known for sculpture in wood and metal, and figures with raised arms are among the most frequently repeated Dogon images. Seen plainly, a slim dark brown pin rising from a black square stand, bending gently along its length. The upper end carries a small stylized figure with a narrow pointed head and ridged body. A thin ring circles the stem low down. It is 2 inches wide, 2 deep and 7 high.

Gently bent but still entirely in charge of its angle.