Dogon Iron Maternity Figure

She sits cross-legged, and her legs make two broad loops.

Mother-and-child images appear widely in Dogon art and across West Africa, expressing hopes for fertility and the well-being of the family. This one is iron, made in Mali in the 20th century, three inches tall. The small child rests against her body and reaches up toward her chest. Her face is long, with a raised crest at the top of the head, and a necklace circles her neck. Crosshatched lines are worked into the lap.

The dark gray surface is worn smooth.

Three inches of iron, and a great deal of tenderness.