Lobi Abstract Standing Figure, Based

Arms in a loop, a body in a line, and nothing extra.

Lobi blacksmiths of Burkina Faso, West Africa, forged this abstract standing figure in iron in the 20th century. Lobi figures are commonly connected with protective spirits and household shrines, and iron examples are often the plainest. Here a long, flat body rises to a small tapered head, with two thin arms bowed out and back in a loop at the waist. The legs are straight, and the feet are flat. The iron is a rusty brown, rough in places. It stands on a small black base.

About eight and three quarter inches tall. The sort of figure that looks modern without having tried.