Utilitarian objects, used for textile creation, African loom pulleys bear witness to a know-how that is both technical and artistic.
Indeed, beyond their mechanical function—guiding the threads and facilitating the movement of the loom—they reveal remarkable artistic creativity. Most often sculpted in wood, they present a rich iconography: a reflection of the beliefs and aesthetics of the cultures that shaped them.
This exhibition, which brings together nearly fifty pieces, proposes to explore these unique objects, at the crossroads of art and use, revealing the central place of weaving in African societies as well as the virtuosity of the artisans who have been able to elevate an everyday tool to the status of a cultural work.