Dogon Bronze Kneeling Figure

Narrow figure with a stacked neck and two tilting feet set well apart.

This kneeling figure is Dogon, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the early 20th century. It is bronze. Dogon villages are traditionally built along the Bandiagara cliffs of central Mali, where blacksmiths have long held an important place in community life. Side-on, a tall, elongated standing figure with a long face, finely incised patterns across the body and a ringed collar. The surface is brown, worn and smooth. The feet curve outward like small paddles at the base. It is 1.75 inches wide, 2 deep and 6.5 high.

A long, thin figure, entirely in balance.