Bobo Iron Equestrian Figure

The rider is small. The horse has long ago decided where to go.

Bobo smiths of Burkina Faso, West Africa, cast this equestrian figure in iron in the 20th century. Horse and rider images from the region are commonly associated with status, power and the horseback leaders of the Sahel. A thin rider with a pointed hat sits above a stiff, long-legged horse, one arm extended forward with a splayed hand, and the horse’s neck stretches out in a sharp curve. The surface is crusted green and brown, with warm patches showing underneath.

About six inches tall. A great deal of motion in a very small stable.