Dogon Stargazer Curved Posture with Circular Base, Female

A long, slow curve of iron, and at the end of it, one small attentive face.

This female stargazer in a curved posture, on a circular base, is Dogon work from Mali or Burkina Faso. It is contemporary, made of forged iron and copper. The title draws on the place of the sky in Dogon thought, as outsiders have described it, and on the sculptor's habit of turning a body into a gesture. A stem rises from the disc, then splits into thin parallel strips as it bends toward the head. Short shoulders and a slim neck lift the face forward. The surface is yellow-green and crusted. It stands 39.5 inches high.

She leans in. The universe has not yet said anything.