{"product_id":"antique-african-senufo-masked-crocodile-shutter-trade","title":"Antique African Senufo Masked Crocodile Shutter (Trade)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis 52-inch shutter door is a two-plank Senufo piece from the Korhogo region of northern Côte d'Ivoire, carved from dense hardwood with an intact upper pivot lug that shows it was built to swing on a peg rather than hung on hinges. The upper register carries three relief face masks with inward-curving horns and almond eyes, a form tied to the Poro society traditions of the region. Below that sits a central diamond field built from four converging arcs meeting at a raised boss, with faint traces of blue pigment still visible in the carved recesses. Fitted over the central field is a fully sculptural crocodile, carved in the round with cross-hatched scaling, functioning as the sliding lock bar. A lower band carries a repeating linked motif, likely paired reptile forms echoing the crocodile above. The patina is a smoke-cured golden amber deepening to dry tobacco brown. At just under two feet wide and under five feet tall, this reads as a dense, sculptural wall piece rather than a full entrance door, well suited to a hallway, a reading nook, or grouped with other small carved panels on a gallery wall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*Origin: Senufo tradition, Korhogo\/Boundiali region, northern Côte d'Ivoire\u003cbr\u003e*Era: Early  20th century\u003cbr\u003e*Material: Hand-carved hardwood\u003cbr\u003e*Finish: Smoke-cured golden-amber to dry tobacco patina, traces of blue pigment in carved recesses\u003cbr\u003e*Dimensions: 22.5\"W x 1\"D x 52\"H\u003cbr\u003e*Condition: Genuine antique wear, structurally stable, original two-plank joinery, pivot lug, and sculptural sliding lock intact\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn antique Senufo shutter door from Côte d'Ivoire, two planks carved with a trio of horned face masks, a central pigmented diamond motif, and a fully sculptural crocodile sliding lock.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eQ: How does a sliding crocodile lock like this one actually work, and is it still functional?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA:\u003c\/strong\u003e The crocodile is carved fully in the round rather than as a flat relief, and it's mounted to slide horizontally across the central field, dropping into a notch to bar the door shut. On a piece this age, the mechanism is usually still physically intact, as it is here, though we treat it as a sculptural and historical feature rather than a hardware element to rely on for daily use. The carving style, a reptile doubling as both guardian imagery and working lock, is a well-known device on Senufo doors from this region.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e(Requires White Glove Delivery)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e • **Please bear in mind that colors of products shown may vary slightly from their original color due to monitor display settings or photography studio.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"DE-COR | Globally Inspired","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50548972126445,"sku":"IMG_6427","price":3945.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0288\/5256\/files\/6427b.jpg?v=1787855633","url":"https:\/\/de-cor.com\/products\/antique-african-senufo-masked-crocodile-shutter-trade","provider":"DE-COR | Globally Inspired","version":"1.0","type":"link"}