Kotoko Bronze Equestrian Figure

Spiral eyes, a slanted rein, and a rider who clearly knows the route

This equestrian figure is Kotoko, from Chad, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is bronze. The Kotoko peoples of the Lake Chad basin are known for small cast metal figures, and horse and rider subjects are among the forms associated with the region. Four thick legs and a swept tail, with greenish traces in the crevices. A figure with a ridged, cylindrical headdress leans forward on a horse with a hooked head and a round spiral on the cheek. A thin rein angles down from the muzzle. It is 2 inches wide, 0.5 deep and 2 high.

Compact, determined, and slightly lopsided in all the right places.