Burkinabe Leather Whistle or Flute

A pair of slender arms and a head like a tiny horned crown.

This whistle or flute was carved in wood and leather in Burkina Faso, West Africa, in the 20th century. Wooden whistles and small flutes in West Africa are commonly associated with signaling, hunting, ritual and play. The piece is a long, narrow form carved as a stylized figure, with a pinched head and two open arms that drop to the sides. The wood is reddish-brown and smooth, with leather binding at the lower end. It stands on a black base.

About twelve inches tall. It stands like a very thin person with a lot to say.