Tshokwe/Lwena fly whisk, Angola
Wood, horsehair,... Lot 91
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Tshokwe/Lwena fly whisk, Angola
Wood, horsehair, leather and metal wire
H. 28 cm excluding horsehair
Tshokwe/Lwena fly whisk, Angola
H. 11 in
Provenance:
- Galerie Yann Ferrandin
- French private collection
The wooden handle is sheathed in sewn leather and animal hair. The grip is set with a brass wire delicately surrounding the handle, and decorated with a small head superbly worked. The delicate features of the face have been worn away by the repeated rubbing of the hand that held the object. The eyes retain small metal inserts that enhance the look. The headdress, made of a striated shell, is reminiscent of certain mwana pwo Tshokwe masks. It can also be compared to the headdress of a mask in the Felix collection, attributed by some authors to the Lwena.
A utilitarian object as much as a prestigious one, the flycatcher is the traditional privilege of chiefs in many regions of Central Africa. However, we know of very few examples from the Angolan cultural area. The one presented here is without doubt one of the most beautiful known.
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