This lively West African folk scene shows a large elephant facing a tortoise dressed in a patterned cap and vest, who carries a basket brimming with eggs as one rolls away on the path between them. The tortoise is a beloved trickster in West African storytelling, and the scene has the feel of an illustrated fable. Behind them, a village of thatched-roof huts sits beyond a stand of bare trees. The work is drawn in fine pen and ink with intricate decorative patterning, especially in the elephant's ears and headdress and the tortoise's shell. It is set against sprayed washes of vivid magenta, chartreuse, and orange, with chalky pastel accents. It is presented under glass in a gilt frame with an elaborate layered mat: plum suede mats, floral-patterned fabric fillets, and a gold cord fillet. It's a colorful, storytelling piece of contemporary African art; please see photos for condition. Framed size: 27" x 32" (frame dimensions).