Ancient African Art LOBI DOGON Scale gallery Maison Intègre

Exceptional old LOBI ladder, often associated solely with the DOGONS, carved from a single trunk (monoxyle) showing a strong patina of use. This gallery piece was selected in the early 2010s by the now founder of Maison Intègre, as part of her sourcing work in West Africa, particularly here in Burkina Faso, "the land of upright people." For three years, she travelled through West Africa to hunt for and select antique pieces. She cultivates "a distinctive collection of furniture, textiles, and objects that honours the region's heritage while easily integrating into contemporary homes. This includes beautifully sculpted wooden ladders that are commonly used to access attics in the Lobi and Dogon communities of Mali and Burkina Faso (...) the collection speaks to the fusion of form and function." I find that this piece possesses quite an exceptional sculptural presence. The bifid top is very expressive, and the different sections of the trunk have retained a very organic morphology. Its patina is also its strength: it is not simply a uniform colour. There are polished areas, rough zones, cracks, and differentiated wear. It assures a correspondence to an old object, a vernacular and ethnographic item above all, that has experienced real use, unlike many current, dull recent reproductions. The ladders will also inspire the Y Lamp from Maison Intègre as a contemporary interpretation of the traditional bifid-ended Lobi/Dogon ladder (see last photo). Size: 174cm. Gallery piece: mounted. Price: €1000. Estimate: €2000/2300. Due to its size, the piece must be collected on-site: Oise (60) near Compiègne. Please feel free to contact me and check my other listings.