CHOKWE, ANGOLA

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Carved in ivory, horn, or wood, Chokwe whistles often bear miniature, stylized renderings of masks and figures. They were either worn as necklace pendants or tied to spears, and were used in the field by hunters to signal and respond to their party and to marshal their dogs. Their iconography depicts ancestors, chiefs, or sacred beings, conferring a degree of status upon their carriers.

This beautiful whistle shows a finely carved partial figure with strong, stylized features and a ball-like torso. A delicate bead necklace encircles the neck; the mouthpiece protrudes from the top of the coiffure. Below the spheroid midsection is a crosspiece and flared base that allowed for the whistle to be bound to a tether. Two antelope horns protrude from the head, one of which is largely missing.