Bura Figurative Funerary Marker, Based

The face does the talking. The body, a plain rectangle, simply holds still.

This carved stone figure is Bura, from Niger, 11th to 15th century, made to mark a burial. Funerary sites along the Niger River have revealed vessels and stone markers like it standing over graves. The head is long and oval, with a fringe of fine lines across the brow, deeply set eyes, a broad nose and a small, firm mouth. A squared neck leads to a rectangular body that narrows slightly toward the base. The tan stone is weathered and granular, with soft ochre tones.

Seventeen inches. Dignity does not need decoration.