Dogon Seated Male Ancestor Figure Holding Staff

A round-bellied figure with a walking staff, who has clearly eaten well and plans to say nothing.

This seated male ancestor figure with a staff from the Dogon peoples is Dogon, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is bronze. The Dogon live along the Bandiagara escarpment in Mali, and ancestors are an important part of their religious life and of the sculpture they make. Seated figure with a smooth domed head, long nose, and large rounded belly incised with concentric lines. A tall hooked staff stands at one side, and the surface is warm reddish brown with amber rubbed highlights. It is 1.5 inches wide, 2 deep and 3.5 high.

Comfortable, composed, and carrying the staff for show.