Mossi Wood Whistle or Flute, Based

Broad-shouldered dark paddle shape with a crescent head and trailing cord.

This carved wood whistle or flute from the Mossi, with base is Mossi, from Burkina Faso, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. Wood carving is widely practiced among the Mossi of Burkina Faso, where makers work with local hardwoods to produce masks, figures and small utilitarian objects. Glossy near-black carved form with a wide crescent top, rectangular shoulders and a long narrow body. A loop of pale cord loops at the lower end. It stands on a flat black base. It is 2 inches wide, 0.5 deep and 6 high.

Smooth, sleek, and pleased with its own silhouette.