Kotoko Female Figure with Child

Cross-legged, mid-lap, a child leaning in against her side.

Kotoko artists of Chad, Central Africa, cast this female figure with child in bronze in the 20th century. Kotoko bronzes are commonly lost-wax castings, and mother-and-child images often speak to family and fertility. The woman sits with her legs folded wide and her hands resting at her midsection. She has a long, narrow face and a high swept coiffure, while the small child clings at her left. The bronze is a mottled olive and tan, rough and slightly pitted.

About 4 inches tall. Small enough to hold, solid enough to steady a shelf.