260601 - African Traditional Barbershop Sign from Togo
€125.00
African Traditional Barbershop Sign from Togo
Size are 57 cm high and 38 cm wide.
This hand-painted sign illustrates the popular art of African signage, widespread in Togo and throughout West Africa. Made on a wooden plank aged by time, it depicts the profile of a man with a carefully carved geometric hairstyle, accompanied by the tools of the trade: comb, scissors, and clippers.
The simple and direct composition served primarily to immediately identify the barbershop, even for customers who could not read. The sober colors—black, white, and gray on an ochre background—give the whole piece an authentic character and a strong graphic presence.
This type of sign, often displayed on the facade of small shops, is sought after today for its naive aesthetic, its artisanal character, and its testimony to the urban culture of Togo in the 1970s–1990s. Each piece is unique, painted freely by a local craftsman.