Fly whisk ·  D. R. Congo, Yombe · ID: 3033975

Description

ivory, honey brown patina, handle with human head, whisk of animal hair, min. dam., slight traces of abrasion;
the originally pure functional use has developed in a highly decorative style, it became a prestige object. We may say that it is no longer a fly whisk but an emblem of power, a symbol of authority. These so-called “fly whisks” are part of the regalia of a chief or other political leader.