Dogon Kneeling Maternity Figure

Dogon smiths made mothers small. Not slight, merely small.

This one kneels, seated on folded legs atop a square plinth, cradling a child across her lap. Cast in bronze in Mali in the early 20th century, just over three inches tall, by the lost-wax method. Her long arms fall straight from broad shoulders. Her breasts hang low. A crested head with a stern, compact face completes her. The surface is dark earthy brown, worn to a soft golden glow at the knees, the breasts and the infant’s head.

Personal objects, these. You can tell where the hands went.