Dogon Stargazer Curved Posture with Circular Base, Female

The body runs straight up, but the head has somewhere else to look.

This female stargazer in a curved posture, set on a circular base, is contemporary Dogon work from Mali or Burkina Faso, in forged iron and copper. Dogon smiths traditionally forged the tools of farming as well as ritual figures, and the same skills let a modern maker pull iron out to this length. Most of her height is one thin stem with a slight bend. Near the top, narrow shoulders and short arms hold a small head with a dark, polished face. A flat disc lies below. It stands 40 inches high.

Some people look at the floor. She is not one of them.