Fly whisk · Tanzania · ID: 3038234
not available anymore
Size
H: 47,5 cm
H: 18.7 inch
Description
wood, dark brown patina, handle in form of a human head wearing necklaces made from miniature glass beads, animal tail, min. dam., slight traces of usage, base;
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 often part of the regalia of a chief or other political leader.