Ivory Coast
Baule

Wood, Oncoba spinosa tree shell seeds 
Mid 20th Century
Length: 21 inches
Idiophone – Rasp – Scrapped

 Baule artists produced numerous works of art and Baule carvers are still very active today. With their great sense of stylization and attention to detail, they have produced some of the most elegant objects of all African art.

This Baule rasp stick called ‘awoko’ is surmounted with a carved facial finial on top of the stem of carved ridges.  This musical instrument is played by scraping a hollowed-out round seed (not seen here) along the ridged wooden stem and randomly affixing the shell seed from the Oncoba spinosa tree, to serve as an resonator and give another sound.  This awoko strick shows nice patina from usage and age.