Spanish Threshing Sled

This highly textural sculptural object is a 19th-century threshing sled from the Spanish region of Cantalejo. Traditionally pulled by mules or oxen across grain on a threshing floor, it was used on a farm to separate grain from its straw. The sled, sometimes called a threshing sledge, was carefully shaped from black pine, then covered in lithic flakes of white flint sourced from the province of Guadalahara. The textured surface of the flint shards embedded into the wood board complements the natural current of the pine grain, imbuing the board with a sense of motion and momentum. Gentle asymmetry and a patterned exterior elevate this functional tool to a mesmerizing sculptural object.