Skip Navigation

Figure of a Man Holding a Crocodile

Arts of Africa

Nothing is known for certain about the original use of stone carvings such as this one, since the area in which they were made suffered severe social and political disruption in the 1500s. The crocodile most likely represents an ancestor, and the figure some form of communication between the living and the ancestor. The forelegs of the crocodile merge with the arms of the man, suggesting a deep link between the two. The carver of this figure probably belonged to a group of Sapi artists who also made objects for export, such as the ivory cup in this case.
CULTURE Sapi
MEDIUM Stone
  • Place Made: Sierra Leone
  • DATES 15th century or earlier
    DIMENSIONS 4 x 1 1/2 x 2 1/4 in. (10.2 x 3.8 x 5.7 cm)  (show scale)
    COLLECTIONS Arts of Africa
    ACCESSION NUMBER 2000.93.1
    CREDIT LINE Purchased with funds given by the Noah-Sadie K. Wachtel Foundation, Inc.
    CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION The object is carved of stone depicting a human figure in a squatting or kneeling posture holding a crocodile in front with both hands. Facial features are atriculated in relief with horizontal ridge spanning from the corners of the mouth to just below the ears on both checks. The features are stylized with the head being comparatively large for the size of the body of the figure which makes the object top heavy when stood up on its base. The arms or sleeves of the figure as well as the back and tail of the crocodile are delineated with cross hatching marks. Other surfaces are undecorated. A hole of 3/4 inches deep and 1/4 inch diameter is drilled into the top of the head of the figure (male?). The hollow is not straight and the rim of the opening is unevenly beveled. Soil or burial accretion covers most of the surfaces. Where exposed, the stone is observed to have a crystal structure of interlocking, randomly oriented fibrous clusters of translucent pale gray and green color. The worn areas feel smooth and slippery. CONDITION: Overall surface wear; otherwise in good condition.
    MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view
    CAPTION Sapi. Figure of a Man Holding a Crocodile, 15th century or earlier. Stone, 4 x 1 1/2 x 2 1/4 in. (10.2 x 3.8 x 5.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Purchased with funds given by the Noah-Sadie K. Wachtel Foundation, Inc., 2000.93.1. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2000.93.1_SL1_edited.jpg)
    IMAGE overall, 2000.93.1_SL1_edited.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
    "CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.
    RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
    You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
    RECORD COMPLETENESS
    Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.