Dogon Seated Female Figure, Based

Dogon smiths worked small. They made miniature metal figures for shrines and personal devotion, and these might stand for ancestors or serve as offerings.

This one is a woman, made in Mali in the 20th century, about two and a half inches tall. Slender and columnar. A narrow face, rounded eyes, a crested coiffure, arms held close along the body. The lower part gathers into a compact base at the feet.

The surface is dark and crusty, with rust-red and pale mineral deposits in the hollows that speak to age and handling. A small black block supports her.

Quiet, upright, entirely unbothered.