Katsina Standing Figure of a Bearded Male, Based

Eyes down, beard out, and sixteen inches of calm.

Fired clay figures have a long history in Nigeria, where sculptors shaped heads and bodies for commemorative and ritual purposes. This terra cotta man, on his custom base, has an elongated face with heavy-lidded downcast eyes, a broad nose, full lips, and a projecting chin that suggests a beard. A close-fitting cap frames the brow. A ringed neck leads to a simple columnar body, short arms at the sides. The orange-tan clay is coarse and granular, with some losses and softened edges.

Serene is the word. Nobody has hurried him yet.