Bambara Iron Standing Figure

Smiths among the Bamana are held in high regard. Their metalwork has long been associated with ritual as well as practical life.

One of them, in Mali in the 20th century, forged this slender iron figure. Six inches tall, it stands frontally with arms close to the sides. The head has a crested, helmet-like coiffure above a narrow, beaked face. The neck is elongated, and the torso is densely incised with crossing lines and chevrons. Banded anklets circle the feet. The surface is dark, almost black, with pale residue in the incisions that brings the engraved patterns forward.

The figure is narrow. The detail is not. Come closer.