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HOME :
African & Tribal Art :
AS.On Loan : Guro Wooden Heddle Pulley
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Guro Wooden Heddle Pulley - PF.5902
Origin: Ivory Coast
Circa: 20
th
Century AD
Dimensions:
11" (27.9cm) high
x 3.25" (8.3cm) wide
Collection: African
Medium: Wood
Additional Information: AS
£2,800.00
Location: UAE
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| Description |
"Nobody likes to live without beautiful things,"
replied a Guro weaver when asked why he hung
a decoratively carved pulley on his wooden post
loom set up beneath a mango tree. The
decorative features of West African heddle
pulleys -- devices that hold the heddles in
looms -- are created solely for aesthetic
satisfaction, and have no ritual or magical
purpose. The delicately carved figure on the
pulley peers down at the weaver as he works
and
becomes his constant visual companion. The
formal composition of these small pieces shows
great virtuosity and variation: the artists strive
for originality, ingenuity, elegance, and
imaginative effects.
Naturalistic faces occur rarely on pulleys.
Instead, carvers draw upon a wide repertoire of
facial styles that appear on other spiritual
statues and masks. This heddle pulley takes on
the form of a gorgeous young woman. Here
face
is drastically elongated emphasizing the lines of
her jaw. Her elegant coiffure, masterfully carved,
has been elegantly styled into one long braid
that fall into a point in the back, echoing the
forms of her face. The beauty of this woman is
overwhelming from the decorative scars under
her eyes to the coral beaded necklace she
wears,
a symbol of her high-ranking status along with
her coiffure. Overall, this stunning pulley shows
the delicacy, smoothness of finish, and skillful
composition that are prized by African carvers.
- (PF.5902)
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