Dogon Seated Figure Covering Eyes

He covers his eyes. Why, the Dogon have never made simple for the rest of us.

This seated figure was carved in Mali in the 20th century, hands raised to the face, a recognized theme in Dogon sculpture and one that has drawn many interpretations. The body is reduced to long columns: a domed head, forearms pressed upright to the face, knees drawn up beneath, all rising from a round base. The wood has a deep reddish-brown patina, darker and sheened on the crown, dry and cracked along the arms and lower body.

Twenty-two inches tall. Contemplative. Possibly in mourning, possibly in thought.