Two wooden bowls. Large bowl, probably pine. 17-inch diameter by 6 inches deep, walls 1.75 inches thick; Western-African designs carved in wide lip; two small crude repairs with flat iron pieces * Smaller bowl, probably pecan or chestnut. 9.625 -inch

Two wooden bowls. Large bowl, probably pine. 17-inch diameter by 6 inches deep, walls 1.75 inches thick; Western-African designs carved in wide lip; two small crude repairs with flat iron pieces * Smaller bowl, probably pecan or chestnut. 9.625 -inch diameter by 4 inches deep; small chip on edge; well rubbed. SHOULD BE SEEN. Mississippi, circa late 18th-early 19th century E2,500/3,500 Skilled African craftsmen made fancy wooden furniture, mantels, newel posts, etc. for Old South plantation owners. An example, the newel post in the Paschal home, Milton, North Carolina, carved by Thomas Day (1801-61), is pictured in John Michael Vlach's The African Tradition in Decorative Arts. (Cleveland Museum of Art, 1979). Vlach states that "making of useful items from wood by slaves was encouraged in the plantation context." Forbidden to read or write, Africans found woodworking a way to preserve their customs, thus their identity. Since design in African art and craft has meaning and symbolism, the small incised designs on the large bowl may be a ritual blessing for food. [SEE ILLUSTRATION]