Lobi Slingshot on Custom Base 7.75″ – Burkina Faso – African Art

$150.00

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This slingshot was crated in the style of the Lobi people of Burkina Faso. Slingshots are often used to for play but also to deter pests from crops. This particular piece comes attached to a custom base for easy display and measures 7.75 inches tall and weighs 0.5 pounds. There is some wear and tear throughout – please inspect photos.

Type of Object

Slingshot

Country of Origin

Burkina Faso

Ethnicity

Lobi

Material

Wood, Pigment

Approximate Age

Unknown

Height

7.75"

Width

3.75"

Depth

3"

Weight

0.5 lb

Overall Condition

Good condition with normal wear

Tribe Information

About the Lobi People

“The various tribes living in Burkina Faso (formerly Upper-Volta), Ghana and Togo cultivate millet and cotton, and rear cattle in the northern savannah regions. Their religious activities are dictated by the rhythm of the seasons – during the dry season in particular, when the fields are fallow, large festivals and ceremonies are organized.
The Lobi people number 250,000 and live across Burkina Faso, the Ivory Coast and Ghana. They revere spirits known as Thil. Shrines are built to these spirits under the instruction of a sorcerer and placed either on the roof or inside the home and are filled with objects such as vessels, abstract iron figures, and stone and wood figures known as Bateba, which are believed to embody the Thil spirits.”

Source:
Baquart, Jean-Baptiste. The Tribal Arts of Africa. New York: Thames and Hudson Inc. 1998. Print.