Dogon Bronze Seated Figure

Cross-legged, hands on her knees. A pose of someone with time.

This bronze woman was cast by the Dogon of Mali in the early 20th century. Dogon metal figures, made by the lost-wax method, were associated with shrines and with honoring the ancestors and the continuity of the family. Three inches tall, she has a crested head, a long face with a strong nose and full lips, a beaded collar, banded upper arms and pendant breasts above a rounded navel. Fingers and toes are neatly incised.

A soft gray-green patina covers the whole surface.

Calm. Timeworn. In no hurry at all.