Featured A mistery African object?

Hello!
I have found this very unusual object and I am trying to find out its origin, approximate and, above all, its purpose. I thought "Africa", but I am not sure about it...
The structure holding the naked man and woman at the sides rotates on the axis which has another man who holds his hand at the forehead. The total height is approximately 30 cm. I have found it at home, probably bought by my mother many years ago.
Any ideas?
Thank you, Andrea

 

Um...selectively "naked."

 

I wonder if it could be some kind of spindle (yarn).

 

Welcome, Magazzino.

An interesting item. I have not seen such a thing before. The style of carving does not look like any African tradition that I am familiar with, and if @Any Jewelry does not recognize it, it is not from Indonesia ().

I assume from your name that you are located in Italy? It might be helpful to know where you think your mother might have acquired it. Did she travel much?

The costumes are (at least partially) in what appear to be European styles, and with that style of chip carving (the geometric decorative elements) I might look more toward eastern Europe (Balkans, Hungary, etc.).

Here are some Hungarian mangling boards that show similar carvings:


And a painted detail from another Hungarian mangling board that shows similar costumes - note the man's hat and jacket on the right, and the depiction of the woman's hair:



(Both images from: "Herdsmen's Art in Hungary", by Janos Manga. Corvina Press, 1972.)

 

Only based on what looks like it could be a handle in the middle, wondering if it could be something to be carried in a parade or some sort of religious ceremony??

 

A very interesting thing that. Looking forward to learning about it.

 

it's wonderful.......& ceremonial has a valid ring to it ..

 

i just realized they are anatomically correct ! What a fascinating piece.

 

And after looking up 'Mangle boards', everything I'm seeing and reading, @Magazzino della Zita, yours does not look to apply to a mangle board.....
https://www.mangleboard.com/index.php/images-of-mangle-boards.html,
to ME! BUT it's fascinating with it's carving!!!

 

It looks like an antique european possibly french toy (made by a soldier?)for adults. The players had to rotate the moving part to make the man or woman stop in front of the soldier in the middle. It's just a guess! A very interesting piece!

 

I was thinking along the same lines.
The type of carving reminds me somewhat of distaffs that were carved by shepherds in our region (SE Netherlands). They often had nude or semi-nude figures at the top.

Along the lines of European folk wool or textile implements I thought of an intricate spindle. And because these figures are carved as partly dressed and partly nude, I can imagine that the nudity would be wound with yarn and slowly 'undressed' as a weaver or knitter used more of the wool.

 

I like that idea. An incentive? Or sly surprise?

 

Possibly the latter that could lead to the former.

Maybe a young man made this for his fiancee, and gave it to her with the wool on. As she knitted a garment she slowly discovered his intentions.

 

Thank you All for the comments and ideas!
Although the spindle theory might seem a rather possible answer, all spindles I have seen have a rather simpler form. If this was a spindle, the yarn would have to be rolled up on the central pin, rather then to cover (or uncover) the nudities....the carved pattern is a rather common one in many European countries; I have several wooden objects from Piemonte (Northern Italy) with very similar motives.
Ceremonial or game/toy seems more likely to me, but I still think we have not yet hit the right answer....
The topic is still open to new ideas!!
Regards
Andrea

 

There are more elaborate spindles where the wool is wound around the outer construction, which is what I was thinking of.

Absolutely. Even in the Netherlands, so-called Frisian chip carving.

 

I believe we are thinking more in terms of what would be called a yarn "winder", somewhat similar to these:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/147864...er&ref=sr_gallery-1-21&organic_search_click=1


https://www.kijiji.ca/v-art-collectibles/grande-prairie/antique-pioneer-tools/1652741490?undefined


https://countrysideantiques.com/listing/698598265/antique-bentwood-handheld-yarn-winder

 

Andrea, can you tell us anything about where your mother might have acquired this? Where did she live? Did she travel to other places and, if so, where? This might give us clues as to what cultures to focus on.

 

Good morning,
We are from Italy, my mum travelled mostly in Europe and bought her antiques mainly in Italy, France and UK. In the 50s she was often in Paris at the Marche aux Puces; as I have seen this object at home since I can remember, i suppose it was bought either in Italy or France. She started travelling further only much later, but she never was in Africa, nor in the Eastern countries.
I had discarded the yarn winder option due to the shape of this: it would have a rather small capacity and a high risk of the yarn "falling out" of it. Unless it gets caught in the male attribute...
Regards
Andrea