Heddle Pulley (Bo Nun Amuin mask)
Unknown Artist
1900s
Medium
Wood, metal, and plant fiber
Dimensions
h. 14.6 cm
Classification
Implements
Department
African Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Katherine C. White
Accession Number
1971.300
About this artwork
The heddle pulley, a working element of a narrow-band loom, bears a miniature sculpture. Heddle pulleys support and separate threads during weaving. Mounted above the weaver, the pulleys allow him to glance up at an object of inspiring beauty, rather than pure functionality. This pulley depicts a face mask, a secular usage of a typically sacred mask type.