Baule Royal Fly Whisk

A small gold face, a red cloth collar, and a great sweep of horse tail.

This royal fly whisk is Baule, from Morofe, Akwe Region, Ivory Coast, West Africa, 20th century, in gold foil over wood with horse tail and cloth. Across the Akan world and among neighboring peoples such as the Baule, gold-covered regalia has long signaled a leader's rank, and fly whisks belong to that company. The handle ends in a flared gold disc and a little knob. A small carved face looks out just below the wrapping of red and dark cloth. Long black hair arcs away from the top. Thirty-nine inches long.

Flies were not really the point.