Dogon Seated Male Figure

Slender figure with loops of arms that form a long, graceful oval.

This seated male figure is Dogon, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the early 20th century. It is bronze. The Dogon of Mali's Bandiagara region are known for their sculpture, and seated male figures are a recurring form in their art and ritual life. Dark green-black surface, an oval face with a pronounced hairline ridge and long, curved arms that meet low in front. Diamond patterns are incised down the narrow torso. The lower body folds into a small crouching base. It is 2 inches wide, 1 deep and 4.75 high.

All elbows and elegance, with a lot of line for its size.