Bambara Collection of Weaving Tools, On custom base

A loom in miniature, with a horse standing guard over the threads.

Bambara weavers of Mali, West Africa, used heddle pulleys and shuttles like these in the 20th century, and this collection is carved in wood. The heddle pulley is the carved piece that hangs above a narrow strip loom, and its pulleys are often crowned with a figure or animal. Here an animal with a long neck stands at one side of a fan of fine strings, a dark roundel crowns the top, and a pale, carved bar with circular marks leans at the right. The set is lashed with cord and fixed to a stepped wood base.

About 11 inches high. A tiny working studio for the shelf.