Bambara Iron Standing Figure

Mali. A smith at the forge. Respect, in the Bambara world, went to the man who could bend iron.

Their figurative metalwork often carried social and spiritual meaning. This standing woman, in iron, 20th century, is six inches tall, with a long neck, small rounded ears and a face lined with incised scarification. Fine crosshatching covers the chest and belly. The hands rest beneath the breasts above a pronounced navel, and a raised ring circles the hips. Legs straight, firmly planted. The patina is almost black, with pale deposits in the incised lines.

Every detail has been kept. Nothing escapes her.