Description:

**Originally Listed At $150**

West Africa, Mali, Dogon, ca. first half of the 20th century CE. A hand-carved wooden stick with nine small notches carved onto the front side. The lower tip of the stick is rounded, and a pair of small 'arms' projects from atop the body. Votive ladders like this were leaned against the family altar, wherein the spirit of the ancestral head would lie, so that the chiefs of the family as well as the spirits of their deceased ancestors could climb the notches in order to reach the realm of the afterlife. Size: 3.5" W x 15.1" H (8.9 cm x 38.4 cm); 15.375" H (39.1 cm) on included custom stand.

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

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#137027

  • Condition: Small abrasions to body, base, and upper arms, otherwise intact and very good. Nice earthen deposits throughout.

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April 30, 2020 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$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 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000