Dogon Standing Female Figure

Stern little figure in a ridged skirt holds its folded hands steady.

This standing female figure in iron is Dogon, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. Iron figures are forged by heating the metal and hammering it into shape, which often gives them slender, angular proportions. Here, a standing figure with heavy shoulders, hands clasped across the chest, a ribbed skirt and banded legs. The head has a rounded cap and a strong straight nose. The surface is gray green and softly worn. It is 1 inches wide, 1.5 deep and 4.1 high.

Stiff, dressed up and in no mood to chat.