Dogon Pendant with Four Figures, Based

Four figures, shoulder to shoulder, arms linked into one continuous band. Solidarity, in bronze.

Dogon artisans of Mali cast this pendant in the 20th century. Dogon smiths worked in the lost-wax method, making small ornaments and protective objects to be worn or kept close. Each figure has a crested head and a body formed of linked coils and loops. They stand on a flared base incised with zigzags and close parallel lines. The bronze has a warm, golden-brown patina, darker in the recesses.

Four inches tall on its mount. Repetition and rhythm. It rewards the second look, and the third.