Dogon Hair Pin Depicting Female Figure with Raised Arms, Based

Nearby, a slender pin whose tiny face peers out from a tall arched halo.

This hair pin depicting a female figure with raised arms is Dogon, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is iron. Dogon art often repeats a few themes, such as figures with raised arms, kneeling figures and animals such as lizards, which are generally linked to local beliefs and stories. Seen plainly, a long, dark and slightly greenish shaft mounted upright on a black square base. The upper end carries a small face enclosed by a narrow loop, with a bead-like swelling below it. A faint ring marks the lower stem. It is 1.25 inches wide, 1.25 deep and 6.5 high.

Reserved and upright, with the posture of a good librarian.