Chamba Bronze Standing Figure, Based

Spirals from shoulder to ankle. Whoever made him had a theme and kept to it.

This standing figure is Chamba, from Nigeria in West Africa, cast in bronze in the 20th century and mounted on a base. Among the Chamba peoples, figures are generally linked to shrines where communities sought protection and healing, though the meaning of any given form remains debated. A long columnar neck carries a small head with a blade of a nose and heavy lidded brows. Knotted rings circle the throat and waist. The arms end in stubby hands held forward, and the legs splay wide. Fifteen inches high.

He appears to have been expecting you.