Baule Wood Slingshot, Ivory Coast, Based

Glossy black fork rises from a head with a ringed neck and folded arms.

This carved wood slingshot with a base is Baule, and dates to the 20th century. It is ivory coast, west africa. A base allows a small functional object to stand upright and be viewed as a sculpture, a presentation choice made in collecting and display. Up close, a short bust with rounded cheeks, a ringed neck and small breasts is topped by a tall U shaped pair of horns or prongs. The surface is dark, smooth and polished. It stands on an angled black plate. It is 1.5 inches wide, 3.25 deep and 7.75 high.

Crowned with a tall fork and entirely at ease.