NUNA OR BWA, BURKINA FASO

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Wooden whistles served a range of uses across various cultural groups in West Africa during the nineteenth century. Both practical and musical implements, they were a means of communication and signaling over distances during hunts, and provided musical accompaniment for social and royal functions, often in group performances. They also had metaphorical and ritual significance. In some ceremonies and rituals, whistles play a role in calling upon spirits or honoring ancestors. They can be seen as tools to connect the physical and spiritual realms, particularly in initiation rites or other important life events.

In Burkina Faso, music is central to cultural life, and whistles are often integrated into musical performances. They add rhythm, accentuate dance movements, and can be played alongside drums, balafons, and other traditional instruments during festivals, celebrations, and ceremonies.

This elegant wooden example features a slender body with a resonating bulb and diamond-shaped finial at opposing ends. Brass cuffs encircle the whistle at four points along its length, and the surface of the bulb is decorated with applied brass pieces of circular and hourglass shape.