Dogon Bronze Equestrian Figure

Rider balanced on a rectangular frame, steering a horse that mostly consists of curves.

This Dogon equestrian figure in bronze is Dogon, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. Lost-wax casting yields a single metal object from each wax model, so cast figures of the same subject often differ in detail. Slender rider with a round head and large inlaid-looking eye sits on a long-necked horse whose mane is incised with fine lines. Four thin legs flare outward from a rectangular open base, and the golden surface is dulled in the hollows. It is 2 inches wide, 1 deep and 2.5 high.

Engineering by someone who trusted gravity to be polite.