A Fine West African, Ivory Coast, Baule Wood Heddle Pulley
A Fine West African, Ivory Coast, Baule Wood Heddle Pulley
The finial carved as a female head with a serene oval face and downcast eyes and projecting three lobed coiffure
Old reddish glossy patina
Late 19th Century – early 20th Century
Size: 19.5 cm high, 6 cm wide, 7 cm deep – 8¾ ins high, 2½ ins wide, 2¾ ins deep
The finial carved as a female head with a serene oval face and downcast eyes and projecting three lobed coiffure
Old reddish glossy patina
Late 19th Century – early 20th Century
Size: 19.5 cm high, 6 cm wide, 7 cm deep – 8¾ ins high, 2½ ins wide, 2¾ ins deep
Ornamental heddle pulleys are carved for the purposes of public display and are not meant for ritual use. They are functional objects made to support a pair of heddle rods which allow the rapid shed-changing that is a mechanism of West African double heddle loom weaving. They are carved with human or animal heads by which they are suspended from the loom framework. The Baule are justly famous for their visual art traditions and this small figurative sculpture demonstrates the carvers mastery of both function and aesthetic.
A Fine West African, Ivory Coast, Baule Wood Heddle Pulley
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