The Dogon and the Bambara, two large tribes in Mali, secure the doors of their houses as well as of their millet and grain granaries with such carved and decorated door locks. The mechanism functions by means of metal pins which fall into the holes on the narrow side of the cross-bar.
1 to 3: Three door locks of the Dogon. All three locks each carry two ‘horns’ (or ‘ears’) on the upper surface. On their lower edge are each two short, bent ‘legs’ on a socle. The lock body and the cross-bar are decorated on their exterior visible sides with fine chip-carved lines in geometric patterns. All three Dogon door-locks show an excellent, old patina through very long use. No damage. H: 42 cm, 37 cm, 37 cm; W: 38 cm, 36 cm, 35 cm (the cross-bars). First third of the 20th century.
4: A door lock of the Bambara (or Bamana): the triangular pointed projection of this lancet shaped door lock body (without legs) probably represented a spear or lance tip, which was intended to scare robbers and thieves. With cross-bar (here stuck). This Bambara door lock also features on the exterior surface of its ‘body’ and cross-bar a good, fine geometric line decoration and an old, partially shiny and encrusted patina through very long use. H: 45 cm, W: 43 cm. First third of the 20th century. (ME)



Lit.: ‘Bamana. Afrikanische Kunst aus Mali’ by Jean-Paul Colleyn, Rietberg Museum Zurich, fig. 25, p. 58. Provenance: Belgian Private Collection (all 4 objects).