Fly whisk ·  D. R. Congo, Dengese · ID: 3037071

Description

ivory, honey brown patina, carved with a human face, animal tail fixed by plant fibres, min. dam.;
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.