The Dogon people inhabit the Bandiagara escarpment area of Mali, although there are indications that they originally came from Northern Africa. They have a complex mythology and social history, with very well defined creation stories and a large pantheon of gods. They also revere and worship their ancestors, and celebrate the lives of men and the acts of gods in a panoply of masquerade ceremonies. Their material culture is accordingly very rich. Their discovery of ancient sculptures by the Tellem people in caves along the base of the escarpment, led to the incorporation of certain stylistic conventions (i.e. human figures with their arms in the air in what is believed to be a prayer for rainfall) into more recent Dogon works. Their artistic output is phenomenal. There are over 100 mask forms that are used for different occasions or ceremonies, as well as ancestor figures and other figural statuary that represents socially significant people or spirits, and is usually encrusted with offerings such as eggs, blood and maize beer. Pieces designed for magical intervention and oracular foretelling are also known. Most of the abovementioned, however, are secret items that rarely meet the public gaze. However, Dogon craftsmen also delight in the carving of decorative designs on more utilitarian pieces – such as doors, or locks – as both a benediction and for the sheer aesthetic value thus bestowed. In addition to working in wood, as is standard for most African groups, however, the Dogon have a long-established and extremely sophisticated tradition of metalworking. Blacksmiths and their craftworks are highly revered in Dogon society, and are associated with their creation myths, Nommo (primordial beings, of which the blacksmith was one) and rainfall evocation. Most metal (usually copper or brass, and sometimes iron) pieces are much smaller than their wooden counterparts, and reflect diverse aspects of Dogon mythology. The heritage of the Djenne is also apparent in s0pme earlier specimens such as this. The most common variant is the so-called “primordial couple”, which depicts a male and female pair, but there are numerous figures that were endowed with magical properties and kept in the Binu sanctuary, a sacred shelter where the Dogon keep important magical objects. This piece depicts a kneeling man, a pose especially associated with creator beings and Nommo. The pose is exceptionally fluid and well-sculpted, the legs and arms forming graceful arcs, with the hands resting on the knees. The neck is encircled with a ring, the head elevated and looking upwards. The outline of the face is regularized with the addition of a conical hat and a pointed beard with incised detailing. The eyes are large and expressive, the rest of the facial features systematically reduced to an upside-down “T” for the nose and a small mouth within the detail of the beard. The umbilicus is large and prominent, the feet pointed and supporting the weight of the body at the buttocks. This is a beautifully made and sensitively-observed piece of Dogon art, and would be a credit to any collection.