Kotoko Bronze Equestrian Figure

The horse leans forward as if it already smells the stable

This equestrian figure is Kotoko, from Chad, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is bronze. Horses have long been linked with status and leadership in the Sahel, where mounted riders are often associated with chiefs, warriors and courts. The body slopes down to splayed, tapering legs. A turbaned figure sits upright behind a long, tilted neck bound with a twisted rein. Warm brown surface with mossy green deposits gathered in the recesses. It is 2.2 inches wide, 0.5 deep and 2 high.

Speed implied entirely through posture and attitude.