{"product_id":"pair-of-african-bwa-sun-serpent-tall-totem-trade","title":"Pair of African Bwa Sun \u0026 Serpent Tall Totem (Trade)","description":"\u003cp\u003ePieces like these don't often survive as a matched pair, which makes finding both the sun and the serpent together worth pointing out. Carved from single lengths of wood and painted in bands of red, yellow, green, black, and white, they come from the Bwa carving tradition of Burkina Faso, where sun and serpent figures appear together in agricultural festivals honoring a good harvest. The diamond-topped pole reads as the sun, its checkerboard and diamond patterning carrying the light-and-dark symbolism common across Bwa painted work, while its zigzag-bodied partner traces the sinuous line of a serpent, a figure long tied in Bwa tradition to protection and to the community's own origin stories. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe paint has faded and worn in places, especially at the base where hands would have gripped or moved them, giving both poles a lived-in patina rather than a fresh coat. At just over six and a half feet tall and only a few inches wide, they read as sculpture more than furniture. Stand them together in a corner or entry the way they were made to be seen, side by side, sun and serpent in conversation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*Era: 20th century\u003cbr\u003e*Dimension: 9.5\"(W) x 3\"(D) x 78\"(H), sold as a pair\u003cbr\u003e*Material: Carved wood, painted pigment\u003cbr\u003e*Finish: Original painted decoration, natural wear\u003cbr\u003e*Condition: Wear consistent with age \u0026amp; use, blemishes and imperfections will be present. These are not to be considered defects but rather part of its character \u0026amp; historical value.\u003cbr\u003eA pair of vintage Bwa carved and painted wood poles from Burkina Faso, 9.5\"W x 3\"D x 78\"H each, 20th century. One diamond-topped pole represents the sun, the other a zigzag-bodied serpent, both painted in red, yellow, green, black, and white. Sold as a matched pair by DE-COR, a 20+ year antique showroom in Pasadena, CA.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eQ: What do the sun and serpent figures represent in Bwa tradition?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA: \u003c\/strong\u003eSun figures appear in Bwa agricultural and harvest festivals, honoring the sun's role in a good crop. Serpent figures are tied to protective spirits and to the community's own origin stories. Finding both together, as this pair does, reflects how these figures were used side by side in the same ceremonial context.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eQ: What does the checkerboard and diamond painted pattern mean?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA: \u003c\/strong\u003eThe light and dark pigments carry a documented dichotomy in Bwa painted work, often read as innocence and knowledge. The same red, white, and black palette used across Bwa and Gurunsi carving traditionally carries its own symbolism too, red for courage, white for honesty, black for the unseen world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eQ: Were these originally functional ceremonial objects, or made as decorative art?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA:\u003c\/strong\u003e They come out of a genuine ceremonial tradition, carried or displayed during agricultural festivals rather than made purely as decoration. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e(Requires White Glove Delivery)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\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\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"DE-COR | Globally Inspired","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50658297381101,"sku":"IMG_7625","price":2445.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0288\/5256\/files\/IMG_7625_d9ade70f-34b3-407e-8253-3da1e8c263e6.jpg?v=1789002133","url":"https:\/\/de-cor.com\/products\/pair-of-african-bwa-sun-serpent-tall-totem-trade","provider":"DE-COR | Globally Inspired","version":"1.0","type":"link"}