Kotoko metalworkers in the vicinity of Lake Chad used the lost-wax technique to cast small bronze figurines that were kept as personal amulets. Functioning as protective talismans, they were once worn around an owner’s neck or in a small pouch. Held close to the body, they safeguarded their owners against threats outward, and physical, or inward, in the form of anxiety and mental illness. As most of these amulets depict horse and riders, the present example is one of the very few known examples of a single figure. The hand and feet bound together, it probably represents a prisoner. His shackles are mirrored in the manner the waistcloth and necklace are given form, and a similar circular motif always graces a cap that covers the head – probably referring to an old type of headgear. This amulet might have been imbued with the implicit hope to imprison the troubles that bothered its owner. The extensive wear, indicative of a long use, of the present amulet gives the surface a very smooth finish. The elegance and enigmatic nature of this unique talisman set it apart as one of the rarest examples of the type.