This is a old and field used Shrine idol from the Lobi peoples of Burkina Faso, West Africa. Carved from a dense wood with highly stylized face and form, classic facial features, extra elongated arms and a ceremonial cap. Known as a Bateba Thil, the sculpture represents a spirit and would be placed on shrines by a local priest or diviner as a medium to the spirit world. 

The figure measures 9.25 inches tall. ( 10 inches tall on professional custom mount)

Provenance:Ex~ collection Private Washington DC collection. Ex ~ Collection Robert Banks Collection, Maryland, USA, also Ex~ collection Jacques (Jack) Gansler, Virginia, USA.  From 1997-2001, he served as the Under Secretary of Defense at the Department of Defense under President Bill Clinton.