| BAULE Figural heddle pulley (and examples of Baule Bo Nun Amuin masks) |
| In use on a narrow strip loom, this pulley was both functional and aesthetic. It eased the movements of the heddles in separating the warp threads to allow the shuttle carrying the weft thread to pass through. The pulley also called attention to the skills of the sculptor who carved it, advertising his availability to undertake commissions to carve other figurative art, such as masks or shrine figures. |
| Examples below for reference purposes - they are not in my collection. |
|
| Heddle pulley; Baule, Ivory Coast. This heddle pulley shows a Baule man wearing a helmet mask. Such masks have the horns of dangerous buffaloes, the jaws of crocodiles and the faces and scarifications of humans — because they bring the power of the wild to bear on human problems. Wood, 7 in. Donald Morris Gallery. Photo: Dirk Bakker. From the book: Animals in African Art |
|
| An example of a Baule bo nun amuin mask that is shown on the heddle pulley. This example is in the collection of the Museum for African Art, NY This mask, named the albino, incarnates a bo nun amuin "god of the bush" or amuin yasua, or "men's god". This animal head is imaginary, combining elements from different animals, considered fearsome. It was kept in a forest sanctuary outside the village. It is danced to protect the village against threats, to discipline women, and at the funerals of former dancers and important men. Source: Museum for African Art |
|
| Another example of a Baule bo nun amuin mask that is in the collection of the American Museum of Natural History in NY MASK [90.2/ 7661] AFRICAN ETHNOGRAPHIC COLLECTION Culture: BAULE Country: IVORY COAST Material: WOOD,METAL(COPPER,IRON),PIGMENT Dimensions: W:24 H:53 D:22 [in CM] |
| Heddle pulley Undetermined peoples Northeastern region, Côte d'Ivoire Mid 20th century Wood Hx W x D: 18.2 x 6.1 x 6.3 cm (7 3/16 x 2 3/8 x 2 1/2 in.) Bequest of Eliot Elisofon 73-7-140 This object is in the collection of the National Museum for African Art |
| Heddle pulley Baule peoples Côte d'Ivoire Early-mid 20th century Wood, iron, plant fiber H x W x D: 22.5 x 6.6 x 5.5 cm (8 7/8 x 2 5/8 x 2 3/16 in.) Purchased with funds provided by the Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program 96-7-1 This object is in the collection of the National Museum for African Art |
| Heddle pulley Guro peoples Côte d'Ivoire Mid 20th century Wood H x W x D: 19.7 x 7.7 x 6.2 cm (7 3/4 x 3 1/16 x 2 7/16 in.) Bequest of Samuel Rubin 79-16-31 This object is in the collection of the National Museum for African Art |
|
| Image showing Bamana weavers using heddle pulleys from the book: African Mud Cloth by Pascal James Imperato |