Dogon Wood Door Lock

Two long horns sweep upward, giving the lock the profile of an antelope.

This door lock is Dogon, from Mali or Burkina Faso, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is carved wood. Antelope horns are among the most familiar forms on Dogon locks, which secured granaries and house doors with a sliding bolt. Here two long, tapering horns rise from the top, each incised with fine geometric patterns. The case below is covered with crosshatched panels and bound with a cord where the bolt crosses. The bolt is rounded at one end and notched at the other. It is 11.5 inches wide and 17 high.

Locked, and looking rather elegant about it.