Dogon Kneeling Female Figure

She kneels, legs spread wide, and holds out a bowl.

Dogon smiths produced miniature figures for personal and ritual use, often showing women with offerings or vessels. This one is bronze, Mali, 20th century. Both hands hold the bowl before her body, arms bent at the elbows and marked with bracelets. A columnar head, a long ridge of a nose, a small mouth, raised ears. The breasts are simple projections. A crusty grey-green patina covers her, darker where it has worn.

Three inches tall. She asks very little of a shelf.