Makonde Wood Figure, Tanzania

At attention, in a cap, jacket and boots, and not a flicker of doubt.

The Makonde of Tanzania are widely celebrated as sculptors, and their figurative carving includes portrayals of people they encountered, among them men in the uniforms of the colonial era. This wooden figure was carved in the 20th century. He wears a broad, rounded cap, a fitted jacket with buttons, pockets, a crossbelt and a belt at the waist, short trousers and dark boots. His face is calm, with heavy-lidded eyes. The arms are carved separately and pegged at the shoulders, with pierced hands.

Dark, glossy surface, traces of blue, lighter wood at the shins. Twenty-eight inches.

Stand him in a hallway. He will see to the rest.