Dogon Kneeling Male Figure

Kneeling, body arched back, head tipped toward the sky. It could be a prayer.

Dogon figures in metal were made by the lost-wax method and kept on shrines, where gestures of kneeling and raised faces are often read as attitudes of prayer or supplication. This bronze man from Mali, 20th century, has a long slender torso, arms falling straight along the sides to the bent knees, and a head tipping upward to end in a pointed crest. A raised hand sits near the face. A ring encircles the neck.

The surface mixes deep green patina with warm orange-brown earth, especially along the base and legs.

Grace, in a difficult position.