Dogon Bronze Equestrian Figure

Everything here is a straight line.

Dogon artists in Mali cast this three-inch equestrian figure in bronze in the 20th century. The horse is a flat back, four straight legs and a short head with upright ears, a small ring hanging beneath the jaw. The rider sits forward, his tall body ending in a round knob of a head, one arm stretched along the horse’s neck.

In Dogon country, as across the West African savanna, the mounted rider was a familiar image of rank and prestige, and small cast versions were kept as personal treasures.

A crusty green and brown patina clings to every surface. The rest is geometry.