Dogon Standing Female Figure, Based

Dark, upright figure with a braided crest and hands clasped near the throat.

This standing female figure on a base is Dogon, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the early 20th century. It is iron. Forged iron figures are shaped with heat and hammer, and they generally show a more angular, elongated style than cast bronze work. Narrow, standing figure with a ridged crest rising from the head and hands drawn up near the chin. The body tapers to short legs with a band at the lower hem. The finish is deep, even black. It rests on a black plate. It is 2 inches wide, 2 deep and 4.1 high.

Quiet, upright and well-versed in the art of standing still.