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West Africa, Mali, Dogon peoples, ca. first half of the 20th century CE. A hand-carved wooden stick with five notches carved onto the main body and one notch carved onto each of the forking arms. The tops of the arms are slightly grooved and rough to the touch, and faint traces of white pigmentation along the arms and body complement the natural coffee-hued wood grain. 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 to reach the realm of the afterlife. Custom metal display stand included. Size: 3.125" W x 14.625" H (7.9 cm x 37.1 cm); 14.9" H (37.8 cm) on included custom stand.

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

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 & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.

Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.

#137028

Surface wear and minor abrasions commensurate with age, very minor nicks to body and arms, and light roughness across most surfaces, otherwise intact and very good. Nice earthen deposits and patina throughout.