Dogon Wood Door Lock

A dark diamond tip rises above a long, crackled case.

This door lock is Dogon, from Mali or Burkina Faso, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is carved wood. Dogon locks hold granary and house doors shut with a sliding bolt, and their vertical parts often end in a carved crest. The case here is tall and flat, with a dark, crazed surface and a small opening near the top. A diamond-shaped finial perches on a short neck. The bolt is lighter in tone, cut with crossed lines and a bold X at one end, and notched for the latch. It is 14 inches wide and 16 high.

Dark, serious, and entirely reliable.