Fon Iron Fertility Fetish, Based

Consider a smooth cone sits atop a long thin shaft, standing guard on its little black plinth.

This iron fertility fetish figure on a base is Fon, from Togo, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. Iron is a durable metal that can be heated and hammered into shape, and over time it often develops a dark, textured surface. On view, a slender rod with a pointed conical cap rises from a flat footed base, set on a small black stand. The surface is a rusty orange-brown, finely pitted along the shaft with a darker patch near the foot. It is 3 inches wide, 1 deep and 8 high.

Plain-spoken and pared down, like a good sentence.