Description:

West Africa, Mali, Dogon, ca. first half of the 20th century CE. A hand-carved wooden stick with four notches carved onto the main body and one notch carved onto each of the forking arms. The tips of both arms have been shaved and lightly smoothed, and traces of red and dark-brown pigmentation accentuate the natural color of the wood. 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: 3" W x 12" H (7.6 cm x 30.5 cm); 12.3" H (31.2 cm) on included custom stand.

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

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#137026

  • Condition: Item glued to small metal tang and cannot be removed. Surface wear commensurate with age, small chips to bottom, body, and arms, with fading to applied pigmentation. Light earthen deposits throughout.

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September 13, 2018 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000