Dogon Hair Pin Depicting Frog, Based

A hairpin with a frog on top, and no sign of embarrassment.

Dogon smiths of Mali, West Africa, forged this hair pin depicting a frog in iron in the 20th century. Hair pins and combs were commonly worn for adornment and status, and they are often topped with animal or human figures. A long, thin shaft rises to a tiny crouching form at its head, with a hint of gold-brown on the finial. The shaft is slightly crooked and has a thin ring about its midpoint. The iron is dark and softly pitted.

About nine inches long, on a slim stand. Delicate in the way that a lizard is delicate.