Ladder
20th century
Object PlaceMali
Medium/Techniquewood
DimensionsOverall: 228 x 44 x 20 cm (89 3/4 x 17 5/16 x 7 7/8 in.)
Credit LineGift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession number2009.2615
On View
Not on viewClassificationsArchitectural elements
Collections
The Dogon ladders, carved from one tree trunk, were used to access the flat rooftops of homes and granaries. The flat roofs of typical Dogon homes served as storage and sleeping areas. Smaller versions of these utilitarian ladders were used to mark the entrance to shrines and sacred spaces.
Provenance1989, sold by Galerie Majestic, Paris, to Geneviève 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)
