A fine Fang female figure

rising from a circular base, the small feet and bent muscular legs leading to the torso with a brass tack inserted at the navel pointed breasts and a rectangular cavity at the reverse, and framed by bent arms held to the sides, the shoulder blades at the reverse and muscular shoulders supporting the spherical head with heart-shaped facial plane and abbreviated features with brass tacks for eyes and wearing a broadly crested coiffure with a pendant flange at the nape of the neck; '847' in white pigment at the base; fine blackened patina overall.

Acquired from Lipkin Gallery, London, December 8, 1979

Greenwich, Connecticut, The Bruce Museum, Three African Art Traditions: The Art of the Dogon, Fang and Songye, January 31 - April 18, 1999

The Bruce Museum 1999: 25, figure 37

Saw-marks on the bottom of the base indicate that this figure was once part of a larger structure, probably the finial of a staff. Cf. Robbins and Nooter (1989: 336, figure 874) for a related Fang staff with figurative finial.