Fly whisk
D. R. Congo, Yombe
not available anymore
Provenance
Peter Loebarth, Hameln, GermanySize
L: 37 cm
L: 14.6 inch
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.