Burkinabe Wood Whistle or Flute

Long, slim, and carved with a creature at the top.

This whistle or flute was made in wood in Burkina Faso, West Africa, in the 20th century. Wooden flutes and whistles in West Africa are commonly used in ceremony and for signaling. The long, tapering body is a dark reddish-brown. At the head is a small lobed crest, and two thin arms extend down along the sides like limbs. The surface is smooth with a polish from handling, and it is displayed on a small metal stand.

About 18 inches tall. Spare lines, and quietly strange.