Fon Bird Form Stake

A slim figure with a rusty red head and a weathered pale body, standing on a black stand.

This bird-form stake is from Benin, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is wood & pigment. The Fon people were the main people of the Dahomey Kingdom in what is now Benin, and the region is known for its metalwork, cloth and wood sculpture. A narrow, elongated body in chalky, pitted pale tones ends in a small red-brown head with a pointed snout. A thin wire band wraps the middle. It is mounted upright on a square black base. It is 1.75 inches wide, 3 deep and 14 high.

Long on posture, short on small talk.