Lobi Standing Male Figure, Based

Arm across the chest, hand lifted. In a Lobi household, a gesture was an instruction.

This standing man was carved by the Lobi of Burkina Faso in the 20th century. Lobi wooden figures were kept on household shrines, where their poses and gestures were understood to serve and protect the family. This one, eleven and a half inches tall, raises one forearm across the chest while the other arm hangs straight down. The face has incised brows and a projecting mouth. The legs are sturdy, ending in broad feet.

The wood has weathered to dark gray-brown, dry and worn. Spare, direct, and watchful. Do as he suggests.