Dogon Bronze Seated Figure

Gaunt green figure with a topknot, holding a bar across its lap.

This seated bronze figure is Dogon, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. Seated figures with simplified, elongated limbs and raised or folded arms appear throughout Dogon sculpture, and scholars read their gestures in several ways. Tall thin seated figure with a lined, hollow-cheeked face and a small bun on top of the head. Long arms bend forward to hold a horizontal bar across the lap. The surface is a cool grey-green with darker recesses. It is 1 inches wide, 1.5 deep and 4.25 high.

Serious face, firm grip, and no intention to share.