OBJECT O/T WEEK This is a heddle pulley from the Guro in Ivory Coast. A pulley is part of a loom that uses two heddles.
The pulley itself is attached to a stand or the branch of a tree. Hard to imagine? Have a look at this picture: http://bit.ly/cdilzl.
In many West-African cultures, weaving is a semi-ritual activity with an often mythological origin. The figure on the heddle pulley reminds of the iconography of ceremonial and religious objects. Although some believe the figures have solely decorative purposes, other scholars believe that these pulleys have protective powers