Ceremonial Hammer
Mossi, Burkina Faso
Wood, brass, leather, iron
Early 20th century

There are very few examples of this strange and interesting ceremonial hammer. While the piece in the British Museum is attributed to "Ghana?," the example in the Pitt Rivers Museum has a more definitive description: confiscated by the police in Obuasi (southern Ghana), and attributed to the Mossi of Burkina Faso. That Pitt Rivers example was confiscated in or before 1926 ("Iron Club (1926.37.3)," Pitt Rivers Museum, n.d.; Pers. communication, Wolf-Deiter Miersch, May 2022). 

The Mossi are the largest culture in Burkina Faso. According to Bacquart in 1998, their population was 2.2 million, but a check of Wikipedia today puts them at 11.1 million. 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 (Bacquart, The Tribal Arts of Africa, 1998; "Mossi People," Wikipedia, 2022).  

19 in :: 48 cm

InventoryID #13-1960

Price on Request