Carved Figurine ID

Hi,
I have this carved figurine for some time now and I like it a lot.
Is it modern tourist junk or...
Any thoughts/help would be appreciated.

 

Charlie, please go back and edit your post by clicking the more options button on the bottom and selecting full image for everything. They will also want to see the bottom and any marks. Kiko

 

Hello Charlie. Your figure is not an immediately recognizable (traditional) style, but might be from the Philippines. The seated posture, and the little cap are typical, and there are crocodiles in the Philippines. The face is more of a caricature than typical. Can you tell us if it is stone or wood? How tall is it? I would also like to see a simple, straight on view of the front, the other side, and the base. (Please select full image, as Kiko has suggested.) Any information on where you acquired it might also be helpful.

 

Hi again. I just edited my post as suggested. Thanks Koko and "2manybooks"
The figurine is pretty small (16 cm) and it's made of wood. I am not sure which kind of wood it is but it is pretty hard and dense.
I took a good look at it again and now I am doubting if it is African at all.
Looking at the little guy's hat and his eyes it might also be Indonesian (Borneo tribal art - Dayak tribe?...)

 

... mystery solved, I guess. I found similar one online (man, child, alligator motif... although differently positioned). It has to be Dayak tribe after all. Still wondering about the age of the statue.

 

I love the loving parentness of it!

 

Could be a Shaman holding a person's soul. Lovingly.

 

Ah, didn't think of that possibility. I like it.

 

So do I.

 

A profound thought. Love it.... a Shaman holding a person's soul and protecting it from evil (crocodile)

 

The crocodile could be the Shaman's spirit helper, or even alter spirit. They are powerful animals, which could help a Shaman's power. This is all assuming the man is a Shaman, of course. We don't know for sure, but an animal attached to a human being looks Shamanic to me.
I love the little feet on the big feet. It is like teaching, if you walk in my footsteps you will be all right, that kind of thing.