Door lock
20th century
Object PlaceMali
Medium/Techniquewood
DimensionsOverall: 47 x 8 x 6.5 cm (18 1/2 x 3 1/8 x 2 9/16 in.)
Credit LineGift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession number2009.2574
On View
Not on viewClassificationsArchitectural elements
Collections
This lock's carving alludes to Bamana esoteric knowledge. The headdress, abstracted face and prominent neck evoke Komo, a power association that imparts its secret knowledge to its male members. Today such locks have essentially disappeared in Bamana country, replaced by foreign-made types. Many Bamana have converted to Islam and the visual associations of the older locks with the traditional way of the Bamana are no longer appreciated. As a result many locks were discarded or sold in the art market.
ProvenanceGeneviève McMillan (b. 1922 - d. 2008), Cambridge, MA; 2008, to the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation, Cambridge; 2009, gift of the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 17, 2009)
