Out of this white hot piece of celestial iron he made a hoe and a knife. These tools are indispensable even now and facilitate survival within this culture. They each provide meaningful symbols for the nature of opposites and represent the dual function of most objects the blacksmith makes.

As surely as the hoe can cultivate the land, it can with equal efficiency lead to the depletion of it.

Hoe
Dogon - Mali
wood, iron, 27"h x 3.75"w x 6"d
Collection of: Tom Joyce

Life Force at the Anvil
The Blacksmith's Art from Africa

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