Bust of an African Man, on a Baluster Pedestal

Italian 17th Century

National Gallery of Art

This free-standing, bronze sculpture shows the head and neck of a person atop a spindle-shaped base. The face is angled to our left in this photograph. The bronze surface has aged to an almost gold-colored patina, especially along the ridges and rounded surfaces. The person’s upturned face has large, almond-shaped eyes, full lips, high cheekbones, and a wide, upturned nose. The person wears a hat with a wide band flat across the forehead, and it flares like a duck bill at the back. Twisted fabric makes a ring that encircles the base of the neck and a large, teardrop shaped pendant earring hangs from the left ear, closer to us. The baluster-shaped pedestal is decorated with swirling scrolls.