Mossi Wood Whistle or Flute, Based

A paddle with a squared top and one attitude.

Mossi artisans of Burkina Faso, West Africa, carved this whistle or flute in wood in the 20th century. Carved pipes and whistles are often associated with music and signals in the region. The top is a small, flat-faced head with a pinched crest. Two stiff arms drop to a broad flared base cut with an incised triangle. The wood is dark brown with a rubbed, reddish sheen. It is mounted on a thin black stand.

About ten inches tall, the stockiest of the family. A good bookend for taller things.