Ladder (Primary Title)

Unknown (Artist)

20th century or earlier
Possibly Dogon
Sculpture
Tools, Equipment, Utensils
wood
Mali or Burkina Faso
Overall: 99 × 16 1/2 × 7 1/2 in. (251.46 × 41.91 × 19.05 cm)
97.115
The Dogon and other people living in the arid regions of Mali and Burkina Faso create ladders by notching steps into the trunk of a tree that has extremely hard wood. In the dry climate, the wood virtually lasts forever. The maker carefully selects atree with a forked trunk so the ladder will be stable when leaned against a wall to provide access to the roof of a house or the upper section of a granary.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Lorenz
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC

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