A delightful tribal brutalist sculpture of a horse, with great character and decorative appeal.

The origin of these figures is disputed. There are arguments made for this type of work as an early 20th Century Dogon tribal production from West Africa. While the horse is a strong figure in the Dogon tradition, the Dogon figures are made of solid iron, not sheet iron, are more rounded in the body, and often sport a set of reins, sometimes even a rider.

After careful and validated research, we're certain this is an early to mid 20th century example of 'Loha Shilp' wrought iron, originating from the 'Lohar' or blacksmiths of the Bastari tribes, centred in the state of Chhattisgarh, India.

The defining features of the Bastar blacksmith's work are the use of flat scrap iron, obvious hammer marks, impressed and cut patterns and strong simple forms - they are made quickly and not overworked. This makes them expressive and elegant, free of intricacy or decoration apart from a few strokes that might indicate an eye, a mane, a knee joint or a tail.

The Lohar of the Bastar tribes are still working today but, out of necessity, much of the work has taken on features that appeal to the tourist or export markets. These may include decorative screens and wall hangings reflect more of the wishes of the tourist market than the origins of Bastari ironwork. The older, original tribal works are much stronger and more expressive, and the horse offered in this listing is a beautiful example.

This is an older Bastari tribal work, simple and strong. Its patina indicates it's between 70 and 50 years old. It was a fortuitous find, and I haven't found or seen any examples of this age or quality before or since.