Dogon Figure Depicting a Couple

Two heads, one body, and a lot of intimacy in a very small space.

Dogon smiths of Mali, West Africa, forged this figure depicting a couple in iron in the early 20th century. Dogon metal figures of paired men and women are often associated with ideas of unity, ancestry and the complementary pairs found in Dogon thought. Two figures stand shoulder to shoulder, merged into a single compact body, with a small raised loop between their heads. The iron is dark and heavily pitted, with rust-brown flecks across the faces and torsos.

About 2 inches tall. A pair small enough to carry and heavy enough to remember.