Dogon Hairpin Depicting Figure on Stool, Based

A figure perches on a stool on a pin, with fringe.

Dogon smiths of Mali, West Africa, forged this hairpin depicting a figure on a stool in iron in the 20th century. Pins like this are commonly connected with personal adornment and standing in the community. A thin shaft supports a small seated figure at the head, with a cluster of tiny drop-shaped pendants hanging below the seat. The metal has a mottled brown-gold tone, darker in the grooves. A narrow post and a black base hold it upright.

About nine inches long. A tiny seated person, at an unusually good vantage.