A Lobi Flute Lot n° 27

Notch flute Lobi, Burkina Faso / Ghana Ohne Sockel / without base Wood, string. H 16 cm. Provenance: Swiss private collection, Solothurn (acquired in situ). Flutes were used across sub-Saharan Africa in as many different ways as their forms were varied: individually or in groups, e.g. as a signaling instrument, as a means of communication, for entertainment or ritually at initiations, weddings, births and funerals. In addition, they were status symbols, worn as jewelry, and were outward signs of the owner's affiliation. Further reading: Brown, E. (1999). Turn up the volume. Los Angeles: UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History. CHF 100 / 200 EUR 100 / 200