Bambara Weaving Loom Heddle, Based

The loom is long gone. The comb that organized its threads stayed.

Bambara weavers of Mali, West Africa, used heddles like this one on strip looms, and this 20th century example is made of wood and leather. A heddle lifts alternate warp threads so the shuttle can pass through. Here the fine parallel strands stretch tight between a rounded upper beam and a lower bar, bound at the corners with leather. The wood is dark, glossy and handled smooth. It is mounted on a simple metal stand so the strings show through.

About 11 inches tall. A tool with the quiet geometry of a harp.