Fon Rattle with Monkey Figure, Based
Product ID: A1400-001
$1,495.00
About this piece
A monkey rides a rattle, and seems to be enjoying it.
Fon metalworkers of Benin, West Africa, made this iron rattle in the 20th century. Iron staffs and rattles are commonly associated with ritual specialists and shrines in the region, and are often topped with animal figures. A small monkey stands on its hind legs along the handle, one arm lifted, its body touched with green. At one end sits a rounded, rough rust-brown bell. The long handle has weathered to a dark, flaking surface. It is held on a black wooden base.
About 8 inches tall and 10 wide. Small, odd, and the first thing anyone asks about.
