Dogon Figure Riding Mythological Animal

Nineteenth century. A rider, a beast, and no sign of what the two are up to.

Dogon people, Mali. Bronze, four inches long and four inches high. A slender figure sits upright on the back of an animal,. The animal is long, with a pointed muzzle, a crest and four bent legs. The metal has a dark, softly rubbed surface, brown where it has been handled.

Dogon cosmology is rich in creatures that are partly of this world. This animal is mythological, according to the title. We will take it at its word.

Put it by the window. Let it ride the sunlight.