Lock

Lock (kombalabala) of the Bamana people of Mali, dating to the 20th century. The object consists of three components: a vertical element shaped as an anthropomorphic figure, a movable horizontal bolt, and a key, made of wood or metal, inserted into an internal cavity within the bolt, where iron teeth secure the locking mechanism. The surface of the vertical element is decorated with bands of intersecting diagonal lines. The upper section terminates in a head characterized by a rounded forehead and a long rectangular nose intersecting the brow ridge at a right angle, a feature typical of Bamana art, and framed by a semi-ellipsoidal coiffure projecting upward. The work is part of the Bassani Collection and is housed at the MUDEC – Museum of Cultures in Milan (inv. AFR 00009 2513A).

Foto: Paolo Vandrasch, Milano; Giuliano Spagnul, Milano; Vivi Papi, Varese.

Courtesy MUDEC.