Dogon Seated Female Figure with Stretched Legs, Based

Stretched, pale figure sitting on a black slab with one leg sticking out.

This seated female figure with stretched legs in forged metal, on a base is Dogon, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. Dogon sculptors often reduce the body to a few clear shapes, so that legs, arms and torso read as bold, simplified forms rather than detailed anatomy. Tall slim figure with a pale crusty surface has a tiny head, narrow torso, and a foot extended forward. Reddish traces show in the pitted cracks. A flat black base supports the whole arrangement at a slight tilt. It is 1 inches wide, 2 deep and 4 high.

Long on spine, short on small talk.