Dogon Wood Divination Figure

A pointed head, a heavy belt, and a story worn very smooth.

Dogon carvers of Mali, West Africa, made this divination figure in wood in the 20th century. Small wooden figures of this type are commonly associated with Dogon ritual and the household shrine. The head rises to a rounded point above a ridged collar. Below, the body is compact and tubular, with a thick band at the waist and hands clasped low at the front. The wood is honey and brown, darkened in the grooves.

About 3 inches tall. Pocket-sized, though it deserves a pedestal.