Mossi Bronze Whistle or Flute, Based

A whistle was blown. Hunters knew the sound. So did dancers, for objects like this were used for signaling and ceremony. Hunters used them to communicate and call for protection.  Dancers used them during masquerades, dances, and rituals where the sound could be understood as calling on spirits.

This one, cast in bronze, takes the form of a standing woman about five inches tall. It is attributed to the Mossi people of Burkina Faso. Her arms hang straight at her sides. Bracelets mark her wrists and upper arms, and a necklace carries a small pendant at the throat. The face is finely modeled, heavy-lidded, full-lipped, beneath a crested coiffure. Below, the body tapers to a ringed band and a flared, fan-shaped foot, which forms the mouthpiece. The patina is dark brown and evenly glossy. She stands always ready to make her distinctive sound.