Dogon Seated Female Figure

Cross-legged figure with a pointed head and arms propped on bent knees.

This seated female figure is Dogon, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the early 20th century. It is bronze. The Dogon people of Mali are widely known for sculpture, and seated figures are among the forms often discussed in connection with ancestors and the continuity of the community. Glossy near-black surface on a seated figure with a tall conical head, long narrow face and hands drawn together at the chest. Slender arms brace on crossed legs that spread into a wide base. Small areas of dull brown show at the joints. It is 2.5 inches wide, 1.5 deep and 3.5 high.

Sits with total calm and a very sharp hat.