Katsina Standing Figure of a Male, Based

Sad eyes, a square jaw, and a body like a chimney.

This standing figure of a male is Katsina, from Northern Nigeria in West Africa, in terra cotta, early 1st century and given as about 2,000 years old. Terracottas in this style are found in northern Nigeria and are often compared with Nok sculpture, though the connection is still debated. A domed head with slit eyes and a jutting chin sits atop a long cylinder, ringed at the neck and lower down. Two round openings pierce the lower body. The gritty surface ends unevenly at the base. It stands 27.25 inches high.

He has seen a great deal and remains unmoved.