Ritual Barque, Horse Head

Object details

Ritual barques served for transportation to the afterlife and appear in religious murals and carvings in temples and tombs. The wood is very hard, fine grained, and heavy, widely used for functional parts in art and artifacts across Ethiopia, Sudan, Madagascar, and North South Africa.

Nose of ritual barque for transportation to the afterlife. Ancient piece carved from Black Ironwood. Two elements of horse hairstyle restored with ebony wood.