Mossi Bronze Whistle or Flute, Based

Somewhere in West Africa, a whistle sounded. Hunters knew it. So did the dancers.

This one is cast in bronze and takes the form of a standing woman about five inches tall, attributed to the Mossi peoples of Burkina Faso and made in the 20th century. Her arms hang straight at her sides. Bracelets mark her wrists and upper arms, and a necklace carries a small pendant at the throat. The face is finely modeled, heavy-lidded, full-lipped, beneath a crested coiffure. Below, the body tapers to a ringed band and a flared, fan-shaped foot.

The patina is dark brown and evenly glossy. She stands and keeps her counsel.