Seated dwarf

This figure (almost certainly male) has a sense of movement, with a greater plastic quality of the limbs. The right foot is tucked up on the left thigh, while the left hand grips the knee in the familiar posture of someone easing their cross-legged seating position. The forearms are noticeably curved, and this, combined with the deep pointed chest and the absence of a neck, suggests that someone with a deformity is depicted. Alternatively, the figure may just represent a very old man. A loincloth waistband is indicated by incised lines around the back. Traces of red pigment are present in the eyes and mouth.

Entry taken from Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Collection 3 volume catalogue, edited by Steven Hooper (Yale University Press, 1997).