Mossi Wood Slingshot, Burkina Faso, Based

A narrow, helmeted head above a slim body and a wide arch of legs.

This carved wooden slingshot on a base is Mossi, from Burkina Faso, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is carved wood. Slingshots in West Africa were generally used to scare birds from crops or to hunt small animals, and boys often carried them. A carved form stands on a black base. A tall, pointed head with a ridge sits above a slim torso with small carved arms. Two long legs curve out and meet the base, forming a tall arch. The surface is pale and worn. It is 3.5 inches wide, 1.25 deep and 8 high.

Stripped to the essentials and still very expressive.