Dogon Bronze Equestrian Figure

Horse and rider have been cast in a tangle, and neither seems inclined to sort it out.

This Dogon equestrian figure in bronze is Dogon, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the early 20th century. Lost-wax casting yields a single metal object from each wax model, so cast figures of the same subject often differ in detail. Overall, a seated rider with an angular head and bent legs perches on a stiff-legged animal with a long raised muzzle. The blackened surface is rough and crusty, with small lumps at the joints and a finely textured head crest. It is 1 inches wide, 4 deep and 4.5 high.

Wiry, wary and wonderfully self-assured for something so skinny.