Kissi Seated Figure with Offering Vessel

Kneeling, hands full, patient as only stone can be.

Kissi carvers of Sierra Leone, West Africa, made this seated figure with an offering vessel in stone, and the record dates it to the 17th century. Kissi stone figures, often called nomoli, are commonly found in the ground and are associated with agricultural and spiritual traditions. The figure kneels and holds a small bowl before its chest, under a crested head with large, closed-lidded eyes.

About 9 inches tall. Quiet company, and a long memory. It sits comfortably on a shelf and does not need to be introduced twice.