Dogon Seated Female Figure, Based

Hunched figure with long arms, wide-eyed and planted on a big black base.

This seated female figure in forged metal, on a base is Dogon, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. Much of Dogon sculpture relates to ancestors and the passage of life, but its meanings are layered and scholars read them in different ways. Figure squats low with its arms extending long and straight to the knees, head tilted forward with a round, expressive face. The surface is dark green and brown, grainy and covered in tiny mottled patches. A large square base holds it. It is 0.5 inches wide, 0.5 deep and 2.25 high.

Tense knees, confident stare, impressive base.