Ladder

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONDogon ladders are used on a daily basis for a variety of purposes.WHERE WAS IT MADE?The Dogon people live in Mali, on the West coast of Africa.HOW WAS IT MADE?Wooden items, such as masks, doors, and ladders, are made by blacksmiths, who work both with metal and wood. Using an adze, the blacksmith carves a ladder from a single piece of wood.HOW WAS IT USED?Dogon men and women use ladders on a daily basis to access granaries, which store more than grain, and are entered by a door above the ground. Ladders are also used by the village leader/priest to tend personal and ancestral altars which Dogon elders place in specially-made niches in the exterior walls of the clan leader’s home or gina.WHY DOES IT LOOK LIKE THIS?Notice that the clever design of this one-piece ladder allows for ease of production and transport. They also last a very long time because there are no rungs to rot, or sides to break.