Gurage Wood House Post, Based

Charcoal-black and pencil-straight, with an angled cap like a sharpened point.

This house post was made in wood by Gurage builders of Ethiopia, East Africa, in the 20th century. Posts of this type are commonly understood as the load-bearing heart of a traditional house, carved out of a single trunk or branch. Its top is cut at a sharp slant, and the shaft tapers gently from a thicker foot. The wood has gone a deep gray-black, with fine long fissures and a satin shine where hands may have passed.

About 127 inches tall. A single line, drawn in wood.