Nuna Diviner's Scepter with Hornbill Motif

A long serrated beak, a crest of zigzags, and a neck that curves back on itself like a question someone decided not to ask.

This diviner's scepter with hornbill motif is Nuna, from Burkina Faso, West Africa, and dates to the early 20th century. It is forged iron and copper, and is also attributed to the Bwa. The hornbill appears widely in the art of this region and is often linked to knowledge, fertility and the beginnings of things. The bird's head here is a flat iron blade with a toothed bill and a notched crest, incised all over in fine chevrons. Its curved neck drops into a straight shaft studded with copper rivets. It is 15.5 inches wide and 22.5 high.

The bird looks permanently ready to have the last word.