**Originally Listed At $1200**
West Africa, Mali, Dogon, ca. 1950s CE. A hand-carved wooden ladder with five notches carved onto the main body. This ladder is formed from a naturally forked branch or tree trunk, and the tips of both arms have been shaved and would function as natural handholds if used as intended. This ladder may have been used daily for accessing the house or granary, but ladders also served a votive function. Ritualistically 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. Size: 12" W x 53" H (30.5 cm x 134.6 cm); 55" H (139.7 cm) on included custom stand.
Provenance: private Houston, Texas, USA collection, purchased from Gite Gallery of African Art, Houston, Texas, USA in 2012
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most Antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm. #162893
Condition
Losses and chips to steps as shown. Weathering and surface abrasions as expected with age and use. Nice patina!