Cameroonian Ring Depicting Equestrian

Leaning forward over a horse's neck, a tiny rider tops a cast ring.

This cast bronze ring depicting an equestrian is from Cameroon, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. Horse and rider figures appear in the art of many Sahelian peoples, where they are commonly associated with status, leadership and the history of mounted warfare. Green-brown and weathered, the figure group shows a horse with a pointed muzzle, a saddle and a rounded rider rising from the back. The ring below is thick and round, with a mottled patina. It is 2 inches wide, 0.5 deep and 2.25 high.

Small cavalry, permanently in mid-charge, going nowhere.