Congolese Wood Textile Hanger

Smooth, assured, a little mysterious at the middle.

This wooden textile hanger was made in the Republic of Congo in the 20th century. Rods of this sort hung lengths of cloth, letting a household show and store its textiles with care. Just over forty inches long, it tapers to a fine point at one end while the other flares into a flat, spatulate terminal. Midway along the shaft sits a small inset or hole. The reddish-brown wood has a soft sheen and the gentle unevenness of hand shaping.

Nothing here was machined. You can tell.