Dogon Standing Female Figure

Tall and narrow, crested like a cockerel, and patient as a fence post.

This standing female figure is Dogon, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is forged metal. Dogon figures in metal and wood are usually linked to ancestors and to the shrines of family and community, though interpretation varies. Long straight legs carry a slender torso, the hands meeting over the belly. Shoulders flare out sharply, and a notched collar rings the neck. The face is long and narrow, with a pointed crest, and green patina gathers across the whole surface. It is 2.75 inches wide, 2.75 deep and 10.5 high.

Thin, upright and entirely sure of the posture.