Malian Standing Male Figure with Pounder, Based

Figure holding a small bowl-like object to its chest on a spindly, splayed frame.

This standing male figure with a pounder, on a base is from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the early 20th century. It is bronze. Pounding grain with a pestle in a wooden mortar is a daily task in many West African households, and it appears as a subject in sculpture. Close up, a thin standing figure with a small round head and arms bent to hold a rounded object at the chest. The torso is a narrow banded stem, and the legs splay wide into a looped base. The surface is dark brown and burnished. It is 2 inches wide, 2 deep and 3 high.

Carries its little cargo with remarkable, wobbly dignity.