Dogon Kneeling Male Figure

Hands joined at the belly. Knees on the ground. A figure at its devotions, or at least its thoughts.

The Dogon of Mali made small metal figures like this for shrines and for personal use. Iron, 20th century, three and a quarter inches tall. The face is long and narrow, with a hatched beard, a prominent nose and a crested head. The chest is modeled with full breasts. The arms are ringed with incised bands. The metal has a mottled bronze-brown patina, darker in the recesses.

Quiet is the point. Keep it so.