Description:

West Africa, Mali, Dogon, ca. first half of the 20th century CE. A hand-carved wooden stick with seven small notches carved onto the front side. The tip of the stick is shaved to a point, and a small arm with another pair of notches projects outwards from the upper half. Votive ladders like this were leaned against the family altar, wherein the spirit of their ancestral head would lie, so that the chiefs of the family as well as the spirits of their deceased ancestors could climb the carved notches in order to reach the realm of the afterlife. Custom metal display stand included. Size: 2.6" W x 12.6" H (6.6 cm x 32 cm); 12.875" H (32.7 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: ex-private Helms collection, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

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#137024

  • Condition: Small nicks to body and arms, with a couple of stable hairline fissures, otherwise intact and very good. Light earthen deposits and nice patina throughout.

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January 24, 2019 7:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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