A typical West African narrow-strip loom requires a pulley to suspend the heddles that keep warp (lengthwise) threads separated during the weaving process. An appealing sculptural pulley, bobbing with each motion of the weaver’s hands and mechanisms of the loom, could amuse the weaver as well as passersby. While most decorative heddle pulleys exhibit imagery regarded as secular, some may allude to spiritual ideals. For example, across West Africa, the bird is regarded as a spiritual messenger. The back-to-back figure pair may refer to the primordial ancestors of Dogon peoples. By the late 20th century, imaginative heddle pulleys became rare as plain pulleys took their place. Various types of narrow-strip looms were used to create many of the textiles in this exhibition.